Remembering The First Lady Doctor Of India

_{Google's Doodle commemorating Anandi's 153rd birthday}

Rarely I meet people who don’t accept the adverse and life shattering circumstances but decide to take them head on with all they have got. These circumstance completely alter the course of their life.

I remember a classmate of mine who was studying engineering degree at a very prestigious college of the country. But during that time his mother died from some incurable cancer. Naturally my friend was very shocked of this incident. He decided to drop out of his engineering degree. He thought that this disease could be cured and decided to enter the research field as his career. He started preparing for medical entrance examination and got the admission in the best medical college of the country namely AIIMS. And he never stopped there. He moved to USA for higher studies and became a research fellow.

A very inspiring story of the life of first lady doctor of India Mrs. Anandi Gopal Joshi is on similar lines. Born in 1865, she was married at the age of 9 as child marriage was common during that period. She delivered a baby at the age of 14. But unfortunately the baby boy’s life was very short lived. In the absence of proper medical care, he died merely in 10 days. This was a very shocking incident for Anandi and his husband Gopal Rao.

This shocking incident changed the entire course of Anandi’s life and inspired her to become a physician.

Imagine, at that time there was no lady doctor, not even a gynaecologist or obstetrician. Probably, all midwifery was done by males. During that period, it was rare for any Hindu woman to go out and study at a young age. But Anandi with the support of her husband decided to travel to USA to take a medical degree.

Although she herself was not keeping well during those days but her husband told her to travel to USA in a ship. He had found her a host who was ready to volunteer her stay there. After reaching to USA she applied to a Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. There were only two women’s medical college at that time.

Fighting all odds, she successfully completed her MD in March 1886. The topic for her thesis was "Obstetrics among the Aryan Hindus". Even Queen Victoria sent her a message of congratulations on her graduation. Then she returned to India.

Although she died at a very young age of 21, she became an inspiration for whole society esp. the fairer sex.

Unfortunately, India doesn’t have too many women’s medical colleges even today. Despite India got its independence about 71 years ago, it was only 5 years back that Indian government inaugurated the first all-women medical college of independent India.

However in the current times there is no dearth of women doctors. Girls have got 33% reservation in all medical colleges. Aside that 70% of management quote seats in all medical colleges are filled by the fairer sex. But there is a different reason for it. One media report clearly mentions that it has something to do with fetching of a “good match” for marriage and family status.

It’s unfortunate that many women don’t take up the profession of a medico after their marriage. There are very few seats in the country to churn out the required medical professionals and even if they don’t take up their profession, the shortage of doctors becomes acute.

Today on her birthday, we should take inspiration from the struggles and commitment of Anandi Gopal Joshi. I’m glad that Google dedicated a doodle for her birthday.