The town of Honavar is located on the Arabian Sea coast about 500 miles south of Mumbai where the mighty Sharavati river joins the Arabian sea. Honavar is one of the coastal taluka’s of Uttara Kannada District.

St. Ignatius Hospital was established in the year 1978 with the purpose of providing Medical Care to the rural people of Honavar and neighbouring areas. At this time the Late Bishop Emeritus Ignatius Lobo of Diocese of Belgaum expressed his desire of setting up a School of Nursing. He visioned a self sufficient local community of trained women as nurses imparting their services to their own people.

The old hospital was giving way due to the incessant rains causing constant leakage and a new hospital was planned with upgraded facilities.

St. Ignatius Hospital is currently a 250 bedded facility providing integrated health care through various departments manned by qualified Physicians, Surgeon, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Pediatrician, Orthopedician, Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Optholmologist, Neurologist, Cardiologist, Radiologist, Pathologist, Physiotherapist, Dentist, Oncologist, Urologist, Nephrologist and Dermatalogist.

The hospital has modern diagnostic technology like MRI & CT scan, USG, TMT, EEG, 24x7 Ambulance service, well designed and equipped Emergency Room, Intensive care unit, Dialysis Unit, labour unit, operation rooms, in-patient and outpatient facilities and mental health rehabilitation centre. Health camps and other out-reach programmes are held in association with St. Ignatius Health and Education Centre, St. Ignatius Institute of Health Sciences & other voluntary organizations.

St. Ignatius Hospital recognized that Health Care is the utmost need of the hour and training of supportive man power in this direction is essential. Thus in commemoration of the silver jubilee celebrations of the hospital in the year 2003, St. Ignatius School of Nursing was initiated.