Dr Pramod, CEO and Dr Evita Fernandez, Chairperson, Fernandez Foundation with the new brand identity
“Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.”
– Victor Hugo
In 1948, Lourdes and Leslie—our founders—stepped into the unknown when they set up a two-bed maternity practice in a bustling corner of Hyderabad. That practice took shape with values that have stood the test of time. Life comes from God; respect life. Service, always, before self. Do what is right, and never let the lack of money turn a patient away. Stay honest: with finances, patient care, and with employees. These values coalesced into the Fernandez Foundation’s abiding principle: compassionate, respectful care. While we celebrate all that is new and necessary, we must remind ourselves of timeless values and our commitment to the mother and her newborn.
The mother-baby dyad
By 1985, the founders had handed over the reins of a hospital that had grown to 40 beds. The facility provided a range of care: ENT, orthopaedics, general surgery, medical and maternity services. However, the hospital’s calling was in maternity and newborn care. The hospital rebuilt its services around the mother-baby dyad with a renewed sense of purpose. It began its transformation into a one-stop centre for meeting every pregnant woman’s and newborn’s needs. The Fernandez Hospital built its first level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)in 1996. It was the first for any private maternity hospital— a practice now taken for granted in all maternity hospitals. By 1996, the Hospital serviced 100 beds. In another four years, we had grown to become a tertiary, perinatal referral centre.
This growth and transformation were also visible in our brand and colours: From Stork Home in the 40s, we became Fernandez Dawakhana. In the 1990s, Fernandez Hospital Pvt Ltd was set up but ploughed back all profits. In 2018 all activities were brought under the canopy of Fernandez Foundation, a not-for-profit company. The hospital’s external transformation reflected our evolving sense of the allied services that a mother and her newborn need. The deep trust mothers place in our practices has remained unshaken—and has only grown over all these years. Our clinical approach is rooted in respectful, equitable and high-quality care. It does not discriminate on any basis. The Fernandez Hospital focuses on facilitating a joyous, blissful moment that mothers can cherish for the rest of their lives.
A new dawn
Childbirth the world over is facing a crisis. It has become overly medicalised. Caesarean sections and birth inducement is coercing mothers into options that remove their agency and comfort. For a while, it seemed as if the medical practice had forgotten that childbirth was a natural event and that mothers were the primary drivers of this blissful journey. The Fernandez Hospital had an informed position, rooting firmly for the mother and her freedom. We began building a unique cadre of professionals—midwives—to help prevent avoidable maternal and newborn deaths. Midwifery, in turn, brought us back to woman-centred respectful care. A midwife offers a mother the highest quality of care in an environment where compassion, respect, dignity, and privacy are central. This transformed us again and put us on a fresh, new path.
So, in our 75th year, we have donned a new set of colours, typefaces and designs that radiates this refreshed, renewed commitment to care. It took us many months of internal discussion and dialogue with our several well-wishers and supporters. The incredibly creative team at Cracker & Rush, led by Ashutosh, Ruhi, and Richa, helped us break out of our chrysalis. This trio brought into focus our 75-year journey in the new, simple but vibrant logo. We share our joy with the world—and with all mothers and their newborns who bustle through our many doors.
Our new tagline refers to our founding principle: “Make birthing a blissful experience for every mother.” One where the mother feels the joy of the life she ushers into this world. The new logo reflects the hospital’s compassionate care to the mother and the newborn under our watch. The Yellow is the yellow of sunshine, joy, and our service’s warmth. This new look is a fresh and contemporary encoding of the values of our founding and daily practice. As you walk into our doors, we hope you will look up, look around, and break into a smile.