NAZARETH HOSPITAL STATEMENT OF PURPOSE                                                                                                                      

The Nazareth Hospital is a Christian Institution, independent of church denomination or political affiliation, which exists to glorify God and bear witness to His love as manifested in the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. The hospital aims to serve all who seek treatment without prejudice to any religious, ethnic, or social community, and irrespective of class.

The work of the hospital was started in 1861 by Dr. P.K. Vartan, an Armenian physician, and the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society (E.M.M.S.), Scotland, assumed responsibility from 1866. The present hospital was built by the E.M.M.S. on a site bought in 1908, and it was inaugurated in 1923. The E.M.M.S. appoints the General Director, who, together with the local administration, is responsible to the E.M.M.S. Board of Directors for the management of the hospital and for proposing development in response to local needs. In accordance with the Constitution of the Society all major changes, development, and appointment of senior staff requires the approval of the Board. The E.M.M.S. makes financial contributions and helps in recruiting expatriate staff to enable the hospital to meet its objectives.

The hospital and its Nursing School are recognized as part of a district health plan by the Ministry of Health. It seeks to provide a standard of medical care appropriate to local needs and ministry requirements in cooperation with the other services of the region. In all aspects of care, cooperative teamwork and excellence is the aim.

The hospital aims to meet its running costs by reimbursement for service but depends on external sources of income for development.

In the future the hospital will continue to develop its patient services and education programs, to be delivered in a Christian spirit of love and service honoring to God.