Volume 2, Issue 4 (2017)                   SJMR 2017, 2(4): 25-30 | Back to browse issues page


XML Persian Abstract Print


Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:

Karimian A. History of Vaziri Hospital; a Historical Research. SJMR 2017; 2 (4) :25-30
URL: http://saremjrm.com/article-1-93-en.html
Governmental Management Training Center, Tehran, Iran , ali_karimiyan_2011@yahoo.com
Full-Text [PDF 633 kb]   (1658 Downloads)     |   Abstract (HTML)  (6314 Views)
Full-Text:   (2785 Views)
Introduction
From the previous centuries, a lot of donors have endowed as far as their could and they have devoted their properties to establish scientific, educational, medical and public centers, to develop knowledge, help the peers and provide the welfare for the poor beside as well as maintain this good tradition. In this regard, Mirza Isa Vazir, also, thought of setting up a hospital to improve the health of people and fight against diseases. Before his death, he ordered Sheikh Hadi Najm Abadi to build a hospital with one third of his properties. According to his will, at first, the land for the hospital was chose and its building continued until 1900. This year, several rooms were prepared for hospitalization and treatment of patients. During the 97 years of hospital operation (1901 to 1995), thousands of patients benefited from its outpatient services. From the income of endowment of Isa Vazir, other than hospital, a pharmacy, a school, two bathrooms, and a mosque were also established.
 
Endowment and hospital building
Mirza Isa Vazir (Fig. 1), the son of Mirza Musa Vazir, was from Ashtian and he was the Mirza Yusuf Mostofi al-Mamalek's brother in law (who was a minister and achancellor) [1]. In April, 1867, when Naseraddin Shah traveled to Khorasan, Naseraddin Shah, in his absence, assigned Mirza Yusuf Ashtiani Mostofi al- Mamalek, and according to the Shah`s opinion, Mirza Isa, who until then was the royal stamp keeper, was appointed to the Tehran Ministry and was responsible to provide the needs of Karmran Mirza Nayeb-al-Saltaneh [2]. In 1872, Mirza was subjected to degradation and he did not have any important job until about 20 years afterwards [1]. (Mirza Isa, in 1882, with Amin-al-Malek, Haji Mirza Abbas Gholi, Amin Lashgar, Moein-al-Vozara, Mostashar, Garanmayeh and Etemad al-Saltanah were among the members of the parliamentary inquiry). After the death of Mohammad Ebrahim Khan, the Minister of Military (on December 30, 1930), Kamran Mirza`s uncle, was again assigned to the Ministry of Tehran and the Directorate of Buildings and lands, and he was in this position for one and year and a few days, and eventually died of cholera and he was burned at the northwestern angle of the Sheikh Hadi Mosque in Shahpour Street [2, 3].
 
Figure 1) Mirza Isa (Minister of Tehran)

When Mirza Isa became patient, he summoned Sheikh Hadi Najm Abadi (Figure 2) and appointed him as his agent. In his will, Mirza had written that from his properties, an equipped hospital be built Hajj Sheikh Hadi accepted his request, and this was how the building of hospital was started [3].
 
Figure 2) Sheikh Hadi Najm Abadi
 
Sheikh Hadi Najm Abadi wanted to build a hospital with one third of the property of Isa, but due to the arguments between the heirs of Mirza Isa, this action was not carried out until 1898. In the mid-1989, he was able to resolve this argument. According to the will, for the building of hospital, he selected an area of 4000 square meters, which is the current location of the Vaziri Hospital. The building of hospital was continued until 1901, and this year, several rooms were prepared for the treatment of patients [4]. In an inscription that is mounted on the door of hospital it has been written: “This national hospital has been built by Mr. Haj Sheikh Hadi Mojtaheh Najm Abadi with the one-third of deceased Mirza Isa Vazir`s properties according to his will and it has been opened in January 1, 1901.”
The hospital cost per month was about 1000 Rials which was provided from the income of a nearby Qanat near the Eshtehard city in Karaj, named Sehatabad, and a fridge near Darvazeh Rey neighborhood. By the end of 1902, the hospital had 10 beds and it was under the supervision of Najm Abadi. Since Najm Abadi built this hospital, it is also known as “Sheikh Hadi Hospital”. At that time, the medical department was under the supervision of Dr. Seyed Abotorab and the surgery department was under the supervision of Dr. Wolf, a German.
At this point in time, the provision and allocation of credit and expenses of governmental hospital funds were provided from the budget of General Health Administration or from the income of municipality [5] and the costs of endowed hospitals, including Vaziri Hospital, were provided from the income of endowed properties. However, the Vaziri Hospital was closed due to the budget deficit in 1920, but it was reopened some time later [6]. Due to lack of funds and non-payment of employee`s salaries, the hospital was occasionally found to be serious deteriorated. However, in 1922, the cabinet was approved that the monthly budget of three governmental, Vaziri, and Women Hospitals be paid from the custom revenue from July [7]. Vaziri Hospital was handed over from the Office of Endowment to Ministry of Health in 1923 according to a contract [8].
Dr. John Gilmour, on behalf of a committee from the United Nations Health Organization, and at the request of Iran, came to the country in 1924 to report on the health of the country. The purpose of the mission was to investigate the prevalence of malaria and the spread of epidemics. These surveys lasted from September to June 1924. Dr. Gilmour was able to gather an interesting report on the health condition of Iran in 1922 and 1923. This report was presented to the United Nations Health Organization in 1925. This report writes about Vaziri Hospital: “This hospital has been established by the property of a good benevolent person. However, since it could not be managed well, the government accepted its supervision three years ago and now it is under the supervision of Ministry of General Health. This hospital has 30 beds that half of it are for treatment and half of it are for surgery. The head of the hospital is its doctor and the medicine professor at the medical school.
Three of the students in the final year of medical school work as surgeon assistants at this hospital. The nurses group consists of 6 male and 2 female nurses. The number of patients who have been hospitalized in this hospital during April 1923 to April 1924 has been 344 and the number of outpatients during this time has been 1104 [9]. Also, students at the medical school spend their internship in this hospital (Figure 3).” [10].
 
Figure 3) Vaziri Hospital
 
Custodians and directors of hospital
Haj Sheikh Hadi Najm Abadi was born in 1835. Sheikh Hadi, was the son of Haji Mullah Mehdi who was one of the greatest clergymen and a nobleman. After studying in Tehran and Najaf, he went to pilgrimage to Haj, and then he settled in Tehran, and until the following years, he was the preacher of Mirza Isa Vazir Mosque.
Mirza Isa was Minister of Tehran who build a mosque and a school in the Hassan Abad neighborhood in about 187, and appointed Haj Sheikh Hadi as the authority of the mosque and school [6]. After his death, his son, Sheikh Mohammad Taghi Mojtahed Najmabadi was in charge of the mosque and school affairs. After the death of Sheikh Muhammad Taghi Mojtahed Najm Abadi in March, 1924, Sheikh Abdolhossein Najm Abadi was a custodian for the endowment of Mirza Isa until 1948, and after Sheikh Abdolhossein Najm Abadi, Dr. Yousef Bozorgmehr (Azim-al-Saltaneh) was the head of hospital [11] (under the letter of Tehran University to the Endowment Research Office in December 9, 1948 and according to paragraphs 2 and 4, article 64 of the Rules of Endowment, the interference of Najm Abadi in the affairs of the hospital was prohibited, National Library and Archives of I.R. IRAN, Document no. 98.2706). Dr. Yousef Bozorgmehr resigned this position in 1922 and since then, hospital affairs was delegated to Ata Allah Samii. Ata Allah Samii, while attending hospital administration, studied in Tehran Medical School and after graduation he went to Europe and was elected to the National Assembly on his return to Iran, and Dr. Mehdi Malekzadeh accepted the honorary chair of the hospital [8].
Until 1926, the medical unit of the hospital had no head and its affairs were administrated by Dr. Mehdi Ghodsi, who was passing intern period. He was also responsible for the internal affairs of the hospital. In this year, Dr. Mohammad Hesabi was appointed to chair of the medical unit. Dr. Wilhelm left Iran in 1926 and he was replaced with Dr. Mir who took over the head of surgery department. Since then, the head of hospital was Dr. Malekzadeh. In 1936, a department of women`s diseases was established under the chairmanship of Dr. Jahanshah Saleh at the Vaziri Hospital. Since 1938, Dr. Reza Sehat, The General Director of Hospitals, became the head of the hospital. Regarding the organization of hospital, it should be added that by 1934, technical, scientific, and administrative affairs of the hospital was under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. However, by the policy of centralization of higher education instituions, the National Assembly approved the constitution of the University of Tehran. As a result, Tehran University was set up with six medical, law and political science, science, literature, technical and philosophy schools [12]. Following the recruitment of a new head of the faculty and hospitals and identifying work defects and meeting the country`s requirement for the organization of medical education, actions were done including the joining of Tehran hospitals to the medical school. This was approved by the corrective law of the establishment of the university about the medical school and came to practice from the September 23, 1940. According to the law, from the same day, Tehran Hospitals were added to the School of Medicine [13]. Then, on December 18, 1948, with the request of the University of Tehran from the Office of Endowment, a ban was imposed on Sheikh Abdolhossein Najm Abadi (Figure 4) on interfering in the affairs of the endowment [11].
 
Figure 4) Document regarding the status of the endowment of the Vaziri Hospital
 
Hospital doctors
The hospital doctors in 1922 were Dr. Wilhalm (a French, The head of surgery department) and Dr. Roland (a French, Head of the treatment department) who in addition to the head of the treatment department of Vaziri Hospital was teaching medicine in the medical school. He was an inexperienced young man, and as a result, Dr. Loghman-al-Doleh, the head of the medical school, dismissed him. Dr. Seyeh Abolvahab Khan Sohrab was the head of the polyclinic and the hospital`s internees were Dr. Seyed Reza Rezai and Dr. Ziaii, the son of Zia-al-atebaye Khorasani [8]. In the following years (according to the law allowing the payment of general obligations from the budget of National Health Department for the year 1932 approved in November 24, 1932), Dr. Mansoor Golsorkhi received the amount of 400 Rials per month (totally 2000 Rials) for five months working in the hospital, and Dr. Ata Allah Salari, received 400 Rials per mont (Totally 1400 Rials) for 3 months and 15 days working in the hospital. Then, Dr. Mir, Dr. Bozorgmehr, Dr. Sehat, and Dr. Mahmood Najm Abadi worked in the hospital.
 
Hospital status in terms of organization and treatment
From 1944, the hospital had department, 2 sections, 5 clinics, and 110 beds, under the supervision of 12 doctors and pharmacists. Every day, 400 patients were examined and treated in form of outpatient and patients received free medication.
The hospital departments were as follows:
1. The surgery department had 81 beds, 31 of which were for women and children, and the rest were for men. This department was under the supervision of Dr. Mir and the help of Dr. Salari and Dr. Mahdavi.
2. The Department of ear, throat, and nose had 10 beds that 5 beds were for women and 5 beds were for men. This department was under the direction of Professor Max Meyer (he was hired in 1941) and was under the direction of Dr. Jamshid Alam and the chairmanship of Dr. Jamshid Alam.
3. The ophthalmic department had 17 beds, 6 of which were for males and 11 were for females and it was under the supervision of Dr. Bastan.
Clinics included:
1. Internal disease clinic under the supervision of Dr. Mazaher and about 60 people were admitted and treated daily.
2. Surgery clinic was administrated under the supervision of Dr. Golsorkhi and about 70 patients underwent operation.
3. Ophthalmology clinic was administrated under the supervision of Dr. Sajadi and an average of 80 patients were examined and treated daily.
4. Ear, throat and nose clinic was under the supervision of Dr. Tabatabai.
5. Dentistry clinic was administrated under the supervision of Dr. Adib, and average of 50 patients per day were treated.
6. The pharmacy and the laboratory were run by Dr. Adrangi and several pharmacists and more than 350 free prescriptions were delivered to patients each day [12].
 
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
In the year 1928, a maternity hospital with 15 beds and a clinic was established by the Health Department of Municipality which was under the supervision of Dr. Ehya-al-Doleh. In 1934, the maternity hospital was transferred to the hired mansion located in Bastion. From 1934 to 1938, the head of Maternity Hospital was Dr. Bakhtiar. In 1938, the Maternity Hospital was transferred to the medical school and Dr. Hami Ahi, the professor of midwifery, was appointment as chairman. In 1946, The Maternity Hospital was transferred from Bastion to the Vaziri Hospital and the maternity ward was located in the surgery department of the hospital and number of its beds increased to 50. The midwifery department of the Vaziri Hospital had two large halls, each with 16 beds for normal delivery, two 10-bed rooms for treating gynecological diseases, two rooms with 2 beds for surgery of patients, and one operation room and one laboring room.
About the technical staff, it should be noted that Dr. Hamid Ahi was the head of the department. Dr. Iran Alam was the associate professor and Dr. Hassan Riazi was the head of the associated section. Dr. Jafar Gharavi was the head of clinic and Dr. Maria Chabloyans was the assistant. Efat Behbahani was the female director and Nozhat Zarin was responsible for operation and laboring room. Khadijeh Jamali, Mansooreh Jodat, Ghamar-al-Zaman Hajeb, and Robabeh Mir Fakhrai were the midwives [11].
 
Reviewing the documents of Vaziri Hospital
In 1893, Mirza Isa Vazir, The Minister of Tehran, suffered from cholera and invited the deceased Sheikh Hadi. This clergyman visited Mirza Isa Vazir. Mirza Isa vazir asked him to do something after his death. He asked that the loan of bank should be paid at first, and then a hospital be made with one-third of his properties. He died at the same year. The heirs of him were a brother called Mirza Seyed Ahmad and two sisters. His properties were some Qanats (according to army report on March 16, 1887, Sanglaj Qanat was blocked due to the rain and the people were in trouble. Mirza Isa Vazir let the water to be flowed to this neighborhood from his own Qanat until the qanat was restored) in east and west of Tehran and some lands (Figure 5]” [14].
 
Figure 5) Document about how Vaziri Hospital was established (with the registeration number 2700007666)
 
The execution of the will of that deceased person had two problems. First, there was scare customer for his Qanats and lands and secondly, there was argument between the heirs that prevented the transaction. After five years, the heirs of him was able to selected 2000 Hectare of land for the current place of the hospital and they built a hospital building with their own personal budget in 1898. In 1899, the heirs were forced to pay one-third of their share and build a two-story building. In January 1901, 10 iron beds and the equipment were provided and the hospital started its work. For up to two years, 10 patients who had the cost of 1000Rials per moths were severed and treated.
The income for this purpose was provided from: The village of Morad Tappeh located around Eshtehard, the land that deceased Vazir had endowed it in 1889 and it was under the supervision of Sheikh in 1892 and the third of the benefits of the village were endowed for charity. He had the decision to spend this amount on a hospital. He also had endowed a cold storage near the Darvazeh Hazrat Abdolazim neighborhood. It was stated in the endowment document that the revenue of this cold storage should be spent on the hospital that would be built soon. Another endowment was a village build b Sheikh, a village called Sehat Abad near Eshtehrad. The construction of it is as follows: “Morad Tapeh had several dilapidated qanats theat were erected. Sheikh spent 2000 Tomans on that. They gradually did not reach the water. Finally, he forced to rent it to one of the owners of Najm Abad village to take the water out and so that one-fourth of it would be for that person and three-fourth of it was for the Sheikh. The person who rent the qanat was Mirza Ali Mohammad Masood Nezam). He finally was able to take the water out of the qanat and the name of the new qanat was Sehat Abad. The revenue of these three endowment was much less than 100 Tomans per month. Dr. Wolf, a doctor of State Hospital, received 100 Tomans per month from Sheikh honorably and he came to hospital two days a week to visit the patients and doing surgery. Mr. Seyed Abdolvahab received 15 Tomans per month to be always at the hospital and the remained amount which was 65 Tomans was spent on the medicine and food of the patients. However, he used to run the hospital with their own budget. However, during these years, only one person came and praise him and that person was Azod-al- doleh, the father of Ein-al-doleh. This person expressed his pleasure and said that he will establish a hospital in Yousefabad and build a railway line from Tehran to that place so that the patients can come to the hospital easily. Although he did not succeed, based on his will, Ein-al-doleh built that hospital in Yousefabad. Another person was Montazem-al-doleh from Firoozkooh who first a charity school and built a cold storage in Pahlavi Street and endowed it for the hospital which had two beds. Some beds were added. After the death of Sheikh and Montazem-al-Doleh, the principals of school took out the two bedrooms from the hospital, and they sold the cold storage” [15].
From other buildings established by Sheikh Hadi, a pharmacy, a school, two baths, and a mosque (Figure 6) can be mentioned. He was generally eager to serve the health and progress of society. Interestingly, it is said that he often raised his sleeves and he was working like a worker from morning to night to build these buildings. Finally, he died in September 24, 1902 and leave this world with all his glory [16].
Figure 6) Door of the mosque and the school endowed by deceased Mirza Isa Vaziri (constructed by Sheikh Hadi Najm Abadi)
 
Current status of Vaziri Hospital
The “White Journal” reports on the current state of the Vaziri Hospital: Najm Abadi (Vaziri) clinic was built in Sokhanvar Alley between Vali Asr Avenue and Sheikh Hadi Street. This place, which is now inactive, was registered in August 24, 1998 in the national history list. However, the buildings which have been constructed around this building and the shadows of buildings that completely shade on its yard undermine the privacy of this building! Based on information signs on the walls of this building by the Tehran Municipal Organization, the Vaziri Hospital was built by Haj Sheikh Hadi Najm Abadi according to the will of Mirza Isa from 1896 to 1900. In 1976, the Ministry of Health, destroyed the hospital to build a new hospital, but no action was taken. In 1981, a number of physicians and members of the Najm Abadi family reconstructed part of the building. However, according to one resident of the area, the construction of the Najm Abadi hospital is still unclear. [17] It seems that this hospital had been active as a clinic until 1995, and since then it has not have any therapeutic activity [6]. It was registered on September 2, 1998 on the national list of national treasures.
 
Conclusion
In the Qajar period, many scientific, educational and therapeutic centers were established with the budget of donors or with the revenues obtained from endowment with the goodwill of the God believers. As an example, Vaziri Hospital was built with the appropriation of the income of the endowment of Mirza Isa Vazir, and with the help of Sheikh Hadi Najm Abadi, and over 97 years from 1901 to 1995), thousands of patients benefited from its health care. It is clear that this good tradition in all ages can be a good solution for destitute and needy people.
 
Acknowledgements
The case was not found by the authors.
Ethical permissions
The case was not found by the authors.
Conflict of interests
The case was not found by the authors.
Contribution of authors
Ali Karimian (First authors): All affairs of the article has been carried out by him (100%).
Financial support
The case was not found by the authors.
 
Article Type: Historical Research | Subject: Reproduction
Received: 2016/08/22 | Accepted: 2017/01/8 | Published: 2017/02/19

References
1. Itimad-os-Saltaneh. Ruzname -ye Keatirat-e Itimad-os-Saltaneh. Afshar I, editor. Tehran: Amirkabir; 1966. p.150, 426. [Persian] [Link]
2. Bamdad M. Dictionary of Nationl Biography of Iran 1700-1960. Tehran: Zavar Book Store and Publication. 1992. pp. 514-5. [Persian] [Link]
3. Malekzadeh E. Charity in Qajar. Tehran: Porseman; 2004. [Persian] [Link]
4. Namjooie Nik Kh. The history of military medicine. Tehran: Iran-e-Sabz; 2010. p. 81. [Persian] [Link] [PMID] [PMCID]
5. Anonymous Writer. Shafagh-e- Sorkh Newspaper.1928;15 Feb;6(2896);2. [Persian] [Link]
6. Namanipoor G. Research in History of Imam Khomeini Hospital. Tehran: Iran Medical University; 2008. pp. 36-37. [Persian] [Link]
7. Behboodi H. Timeline of Iran's contemporary history. Tehran: Institute of Political Studies and Researches; 2009. p. 253. [Persian] [Link]
8. Medical School, pharmaceutical, dental, and hospital and school-related Guide. Tehran: Tehran University Press; 1953. p. 388-9. [Persian]
9. Gilmour J. Report on the health situation in Iran. Naseri K, translator. Tehran: Social Services Organization; 1975. p. 39. [Persian]
10. Shams Ardekani M, Azimi RS, Ghasemloo F. The evolution of modern medicine Iran, from Darolfonon to the founding of Tehran University. Tehran: Chogan Press; 2010. p. 64. [Persian] [Link]
11. National Library and Archives of Iran. Accession No 270986. Tehran: National Library and Archives of Iran. [Persian] [Link]
12. Terhran University of Medical Sciences. Analytical report of four year performance of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Tehran: Tehran University Press; 2009. p. 17-8. [Persian]
13. Ministry of Culture. Writer's office-statistics circle. Tehran: Ministry of Culture. pp. 6-7. [Persian]
14. sheikh Rezaee E, Azari S. Nazmiyeh reports from Tehran neighborhoods. Tehran: National library and Archives of Iran. 1998. p.381 [Persian] [Link]
15. National Library and Archives of Iran. Accession No 2700007666. Tehran: National Library and Archives of Iran.[Persian]
16. Marslovand H. Sheikh Hadi Najmabadi and the Constitution. Tehran: Ministry of Culture & Islamic Guidance; 1378. 102 p. [Link]
17. Sepidonline Newspaper. [Link]

Send email to the article author


Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

© 2024 CC BY-NC 4.0 | {Sarem Journal of Medical Research}

Designed & Developed by : Yektaweb