Let us know about India’s first Women Doctor.

Anandhi Bai Joshi

National Physicians Day is celebrated every year on July 1. This is the right time to thanking of doctors for their selfless service and their efforts, patients. The importance of physicians has been recognized worldwide since the onset of the Govt-19 epidemic. As we salute the sacrifices of doctors, there is a need to know about the life of Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi, India’s first female doctor.

Anandibai was born on March 31, 1865, in the Thane district of present-day Maharashtra to a conservative Brahmin family of Kalyani. Her husband changed her name after the marriage, but she was originally named the Yamuna by her parents.

When she was just nine, she married 25-year-old Gopalrao Joshi. According to his biography, Gopalrao married her on the condition that she should study after marriage. When they got married, she didn’t even know a single alphabet.
Initially, Anandibai had bought a lot of reprimands from her husband for studying. Even though she was not much interested in studying, however, a setback in his life changed his attitude towards study.
According to the autobiography, when Anandibai was just 14 years old, she lost his 10-day-old baby. She was so shocked by the death of her child that she took a vow to become a doctor, trying to prevent such untimely deaths that often occur in those days.

Gradually, Anandibai began to study more and more, and her husband was determined to fulfill his vow. One of only two gynecological colleges in the world. After completing her elementary education, she enrolled in a department at the College of Gynecology in Pennsylvania. However, despite being a married woman, she went abroad to study and met with a lot of criticism.

Without worrying about criticism, Gopalrao was determined to fulfill his dreams. She was shipped from Kolkata to New York. At the age of 19, she became the first female doctor in India to graduate from the United States with a two-year degree in Western medicine.

On his return to India, she was given a warm welcome and was appointed by the State of Kuala Lumpur as the Medical Officer-in-Charge of the Women's Ward at Albert Edward Hospital.

She was diagnosed with tuberculosis at the age of 22.

She was an inspiration to women to continue their education.

I am glad to share this with you today.

Thank You, Friends.