The Founder
“What higher gain can man attain than conquest over human pain?” – Dr.J.N. Daniel
Dr. Noel Daniel Jeyasekharan was born on 15-03-1925 to Late Dr. J.N.Daniel and Mrs. Annielet Thayammal Daniel as their 5th child. His father Dr.J.N.Daniel belonged to Agastheeswaram. His grand father Dr.Joseph Daniel of Agastheeswaram was a civil surgeon in the erstwhile Travancore state. His mother Mrs. Annielet Thayammal was the daughter of Rev. J.N.Ambrose who hailed from a very ancient family of Ananthanadarkudi and Santapuram. Rev. Ambrose was a very popular and efficient chief pastor of the Nagercoil Home Church.
The story goes that five Nadar chieftain’s families migrated from Sathankulam in Tirunelveli district centuries ago and settled down in Agastheeswaram, Thittuvilai, Santapuram, Thiruvattar and Nagercoil. And so Dr. N.D.Jeyasekharan’s ancestry can be traced back to Sathankulam. In his profession he is the 14th medical man in line.
Dr. N.D.Jeyasekharan’s father Dr.J.N.Daniel settled down in Nagercoil at Kottar and so his boyhood days were all spent at Meenakshipuram and Kottar.
Dr.Jeyasekharan had his schooling in the Home Church School and in the Scott Christian High School. He always held his teachers in good respect and remembers them with affection. While at school and as a young boy of twelve he lost his father all of a sudden. The loss of his father at this age was a severe shock to him and his family. The family shifted to their grandfather Rev. Ambrose’s house. Since the house that Dr.Daniel started building was incomplete they had to be with the maternal grand parents for a few years.
He finished his intermediate at Scott Christian College in the year 1942 and completed his B.Sc. Zoology from University College – Trivandrum. After that he joined the U.T.C. a paramilitary Corp where he opted for Airforce. He had the opportunity to get trained in piloting small aircraft. He took pride in telling that he flew from Trivandrum to Cape with a co-pilot and flew over his house site at Nagercoil. Because of family pressure he had to leave the U.T.C. and try for a M.B.B.S. seat. As a native of Nagercoil, which then belonged to the Travancore state, admission into Madras Medical College was very difficult. He joined the American College Madurai as a Zoology Demonstrator for one year. The next year he got admission to M.B.B.S. in Madras Medical college where he finished his couse and later the House Surgeoncy.
He started his professional career at Catherine Booth Hospital Nagercoil under Dr.Noble, an American Missionary who was a very hard working and dedicated doctor. There Dr.Jeyasekharan could train himself to be a hard working, self-confident medical officer. At C.B.H he had the privilege to work under Dr. Stevens of London and Dr. Harry Williams. It was while at C.B.H. he married Manohara Rani, daughter of Dr. G.M. Samuel and Annammal Samuel of Attingal, Kerala, on December 30th 1953. On October 12th 1954 they were blessed with their eldest child Devaprasath. Later in 1955 they had their second child Sabu. In 1956 he left C.B.H as he was offered as C.S.I. Mission Scholarship for Leadership training in U.K. After 10 months of intense coaching at Trivandrum Medical College he went to U.K. in 1957 and within a very short period he completed his F.R.C.S (Edinburgh) and returned to India in 1958.
On returning he joined the Mission Hospital Neyyoor. Though he had the leadership training he preferred to be a worker for a few years till this hospital was put again on wheels. He worked real hard and earned a good name for the hospital and for himself. It was in his tenure that the 125th anniversary was celebrated with due pomp. Dignitaries like Dr.P.V.Cherian the former Governor of Maharashtra and Dr.N.D.Jeyasekharan’s Professor at Madras, Mr.V.V.Giri – former president of India and many others participated in the function. The local people gave full cooperation. There was an exhibition also. Money was collected and the mission could buy the land adjoining the hospital where the International Cancer Centre stands now. The Nagercoil Mission Hospital was reopened during this period. While at Neyyoor Ranjit, Jaishree and Jaikumari – his three younger children were born.
Due to personal reasons he left the Medical Mission in 1965 and moved on to Nagercoil where he started his own practice. It was started in a very modest way at Henry Road in a relative’s house. He could avail three houses there and started admitting patients and had a small surgical theatre. In the mean time an outpatient clinic was started at a place opposite the Municipal Park. Patients began coming and the need for an inpatient ward and a good surgical set up was felt. So in 1967 the Jeyasekharan Hospital and Nursing Home was built and inagurated by Dr. A. Asirvatham his own teacher. It was sheer hard work and blessings of patients which enabled the institution to grow to its present status.
Dr. Jeyasekharan always wore white and white. He was a strict disciplinarian and a stricter for cleanliness wherein there was no compromise. After his 60th birthday, he became a vegetarian.
After his sons finished their studies and took up responsibilities in the hospital Dr.N.D.Jeyasekharan accepted the post of Correspondent of the C.S.I. Matriculation School. During his tenure the school metamorphosed from a Matriculation school to a Higher Secondary School and brought out good students and it became one of the best in town. From the donations of friends he could add buildings to accommodate the increasing number of students. This new venture became his pet project and a success. God’s great hand was there to guide him.
He was a good Tennis and Volleyball player – captaining the teams often in his college days. Being always conscious of his physical health he took to regular exercise, long quick walks and yoga. When he and his other Dr. friends started The Doctor’s family Club he was a regular badminton player. He was a member of the Rotary Club of Nagercoil, Founder member of the Senior Citizens Forum, Founder member of Friends of Nature Society, Patron of Kanyakumari Institute of Sports and Adventure (KISA) and a member of the I.M.A. He was associated with many public organizations and the churches. He was for some years President of the Y.M.C.A. of Nagercoil. He was an active participant in many projects concerning the welfare of the needy like flood and fire victims and war victims. He was a good public speaker and writes letters to Newspapers highlighting public interests. He built 6 bus shelters in the town for the convenience of the public.
He was interested in rearing poultry, cattle etc. He had in the house an aviary where he used to keep mynas, parrots, guinea fowls, geese and ducks etc. There were about 40 cattle and so he had a Bio-gas plant constructed which catered to the needs of the house.
Even after his illness, he used to visit the hospital regularly to meet his staff, talk to his old patients and to read medical journals.