The Nazareth Trust

Healing in the name of Jesus since 1861
+44 (0)131 225 9957

160 years after

Our history goes back to the late 19th Century when Dr Pacradooni Kaloost Vartan set up a four-bed hospital, the first one in Ottoman Galilee. Currently, the Nazareth Hospital EMMS is the largest healthcare provider in northern Israel, looking after more than 70,000 patients every year.

As we reach such an important milestone, we want to pause and reflect on its meaning and the thousands of individuals who have made it possible. Following Dr Vartan’s mission, all of them dedicated their lives to caring for others and secured the Nazareth Hospital’s future for later generations.

Robert Vartan, great-grandson of Dr P. K. Vartan, reflects on the Nazareth Trust’s long-standing history:

“Our visit to the hospital in 2019 will never fade from our memories and has reinforced our appreciation of the work done by Dr Vartan. I could not be more delighted to see that like-minded people over the 160 years have continued the work in the same manner and for the same reasons as it was done originally.”

 

The reason we’re here today is because of them and many others -too many to share-:

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  • A Scottish lady

    A Scottish lady

    We don’t know her name, but we do know what she helped achieve. She paid for Dr Vartan’s meals and accommodation during his medical training in Edinburgh. Without her, would the Nazareth Trust exist?

  • Dr P. K. Vartan

    Dr P. K. Vartan

    After working as a translator for the British Army during the Crimean War, he studied medicine and became a missionary doctor. In 1861, he set up an eight-bed clinic in Nazareth, the first one in Ottoman Galilee.

  • Mary Anne Vartan

    Mary Anne Vartan

    Mary Anne joined Dr Vartan’s medical mission, travelling with him to Nazareth the same day they married. She worked alongside her husband as a nurse. She gave birth to ten children, five of them dying in their infancy.

  • Dr Fredrick Scrimgeour

    Dr Fredrick Scrimgeour

    Dr Scrimgeour always brought two things to the operating table: his distinctive moustache and a pair of gloves. He was the Medical Director of Nazareth Hospital and, in 1924, founded the School of Nursing.

  • Dr William Bathgate MBE

    Dr William Bathgate MBE

    As Dr Scrimgeour’s successor, he managed the Nazareth Hospital during turbulent times, including several epidemic outbreaks of illnesses, along with the personal tragedy of his daughter’s death at the age of 21.

  • Miss Mary Parkinson

    Miss Mary Parkinson

    She worked as a Matron at the Nazareth Hospital for 24 years and was also a member of the examination board for nurses in Palestine. Many well-known people attended her retirement tea party, including the Mayor of Nazareth at that time.

  • Dr Peter Green

    Dr Peter Green

    Dr Green was passionate about missionary work. After serving at the Nazareth Hospital for one year, he travelled to the West Bank and Africa to continue his work in medical mission. After he died, his son donated his dad’s life-long stamp collection to help fund future hospital projects.

  • Dr Robert Martin MBE and Nancy Martin

    Dr Robert Martin MBE and Nancy Martin

    While Robert was the General Director of the Nazareth Hospital, Nancy was in charge of the School of Nursing. Today, her legacy lives on with the Nancy Martin Memorial Scholarship, supporting students at the School of Nursing.
  • Dr Runa MacKay

    Dr Runa MacKay

    What was meant to be a temporary 6-months position at the Nazareth Hospital ended up in 20 years of service as an obstetrician, gynaecologist and paediatrician. Runa also worked as District Medical Officer at the Israeli Ministry of Health, and once retired, she joined the Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).

  • Dr Morgan Jamieson MBE, Chairman

    Dr Morgan Jamieson MBE, Chairman

    His journey began in 1970 as a medical student at the Nazareth Hospital, an experience which always remained with him. Forty-four years later, he became the Trust’s Chair of the Board.
  • Richard Mayhew, Prof Fahed Hakim and Waseem Dibbini

    Richard Mayhew, Prof Fahed Hakim and Waseem Dibbini

    Our current leadership. They’re in charge of driving the Nazareth Hospital into the future with many exciting development plans.
  • This could be you.

    This could be you.

    Are you ready to join the timeline?

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