M A I N   N E W S

Jalandhar doc among victims
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 15
While leaving Mumbai for Jalandhar, Dr Alphonsa Chelapurath, administrator of Sacred Heart Hospital, Maqsudan and renowned social worker, could not have thought that fire would engulf her along with others on the Frontier Express. Ironically, she was the only victim from Jalandhar whose body could be identified.

The body of Dr Alphonsa got charred to such an extent that her mortal remains could be identified from the aluminium cross, which miraculously remained intact even as the roof of the ill-fated coach melted in the devastating fire, said Father Joseph, Director of St Joseph Convent School, Phagwara, who brought the mortal remains of Dr Alphonsa from Ludhiana.

Born in 1950, Dr Alphonsa undertook her MD in medicine from Germany and another degree in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from the UK before taking over as the administrator of the local Sacred Heart Hospital. She also took a keen interest in developing the infrastructure for palliative care of cancer patients. She was the chief organiser of the National Assembly of the Delegates of the Catholic Health Association of India held here in November last year and was one of the delegates from India to attend a meeting of the World Health Organisation in Washington DC on April 26.

According to Father Joseph, she had vowed to serve society and had not married for the cause. The funeral of Dr Alphonsa will be held here on May 19, said Father Joseph. Meanwhile, Mr Tarsem Peter, general secretary of the “Pendu Mazdoor Union”, said her death was a great loss to humanity.