Hilda Mary Lazarus
Encyclopedia
Hilda Mary Lazarus B.A.
, MBBS
, FRCS (Telugu
: హిల్డా మేరీ లాజరస్) (b: 1890 - d: 1978) was Christian missionary and popular Gynecologist and Obstetrician in India
. She was Principal of Andhra Medical College
and Superintendent of King George Hospital at Visakhapatnam
. She was also the first Indian director of Christian Medical College and Hospital at Vellore
.
in the early nineteenth century, abandoning their Brahmin
identity. She was one of nine surviving children born to Eliza and Daniel Lazarus. Her father was a highly regarded Christian educator and author. She joined CBM high school for her primary education.
and winning a gold medal for outstanding work in Midwifery
. She later went to England
to qualify for a medical degree and spent many years for several courses in medicine. In the United Kingdom
, she passed medical examinations in London and Dublin. She obtained membership in the Royal College of Surgeons and a specialization in obstetrics and gynecology. She was appointed to the Women's Medical Service (WMS) in India, the first Indian woman to obtain such an appointment. She was in government medical service from 1917 to 1947.
and Hospital, New Delhi
. Established under government auspices in 1916 as the only fully professional medical college in India concerned exclusively with the training of women, Lady Hardinge was open to qualified students from all religious backgrounds. Lady Hardinge Medical College was thus unique within India, and it was to this institution that Lazarus returned in triumph in 1940 as its first Indian principal.
During the years that intervened, she worked in various parts of India, superintending hospitals, training nurses and midwives, and taking other steps to improve the quality of medical services for women and children. In addition to broadening her professional horizons and areas of expertise, these years also led her to acquire facility in several new Indian languages in addition to the Telugu
and Sanskrit
that she had learned in childhood, along with English.
She wrote a book based on her experiences in England and served as the Director of Vellore Medical College
between 1948 and 1954 and Chief Medical Officer at the Vellore hospital. She served for some time in the Government General Hospital, Madras. In Visakhapatnam, she held the posts of Principal of Andhra Medical College
and Superintendent of King George's Hospital. There is a Lazarus ward in the Victoria Hospital for Women and Child, where she also served.
honored her with the Padma Shri
award for her services.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, MBBS
MBBS
MBBS was a popular BBS system in the Nordic countries during the mid-1990s. It was created by a team of Oslo-based enthusiasts, led by Mike Robertson. As many BBS systems of that era, it was only available for the DOS platform. Since one process could only handle one node, multitaskers such as...
, FRCS (Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
: హిల్డా మేరీ లాజరస్) (b: 1890 - d: 1978) was Christian missionary and popular Gynecologist and Obstetrician in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. She was Principal of Andhra Medical College
Andhra Medical College
Andhra Medical College is one of the premier Medical colleges in India. It is affiliated to NTR University of Health Sciences.It is the oldest medical college in Andhra Pradesh & 6th oldest in INDIA.-History:...
and Superintendent of King George Hospital at Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam is a major sea port on the south east coast of India. With a population of approximately 1.7 million, it is the second largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh and the third largest city on the east coast of India after Kolkata and Chennai. According to the history, the city was...
. She was also the first Indian director of Christian Medical College and Hospital at Vellore
Vellore
Vellore It is considered one of the oldest cities in South India and lies on the banks of the Palar river on the site of Vellore Fort. The city lies between Chennai and Bangalore and the Temple towns of Thiruvannamalai and Tirupati...
.
Early life
Hilda was born on January 23, 1890, into an accomplished family at Visakhapatnam, in southern India. Her grandparents had converted to ChristianityChristianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in the early nineteenth century, abandoning their Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
identity. She was one of nine surviving children born to Eliza and Daniel Lazarus. Her father was a highly regarded Christian educator and author. She joined CBM high school for her primary education.
Medical training
At the Madras University Lazarus completed a B.A. before obtaining her medical degree from the Madras Medical CollegeMadras Medical College
The Madras Medical College is an educational institution located in Chennai, India. It was established on February 2, 1835. It is the oldest medical college in India, along with the Medical College Kolkata.-History:...
and winning a gold medal for outstanding work in Midwifery
Midwifery
Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during pregnancy, labour and birth, and during the postpartum period. They also help care for the newborn and assist the mother with breastfeeding....
. She later went to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to qualify for a medical degree and spent many years for several courses in medicine. In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, she passed medical examinations in London and Dublin. She obtained membership in the Royal College of Surgeons and a specialization in obstetrics and gynecology. She was appointed to the Women's Medical Service (WMS) in India, the first Indian woman to obtain such an appointment. She was in government medical service from 1917 to 1947.
Return to India
Lazarus entered her career with the WMS by serving briefly at Lady Hardinge Medical CollegeLady Hardinge Medical College
Lady Hardinge Medical College is a Medical College for women located near Connaught Plane in New Delhi, India. Established in 1916, it became part of the Delhi University, Faculty of Medical Sciences in 1950. For the teaching and training of medical students, it has two hospitals, Smt...
and Hospital, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. Established under government auspices in 1916 as the only fully professional medical college in India concerned exclusively with the training of women, Lady Hardinge was open to qualified students from all religious backgrounds. Lady Hardinge Medical College was thus unique within India, and it was to this institution that Lazarus returned in triumph in 1940 as its first Indian principal.
During the years that intervened, she worked in various parts of India, superintending hospitals, training nurses and midwives, and taking other steps to improve the quality of medical services for women and children. In addition to broadening her professional horizons and areas of expertise, these years also led her to acquire facility in several new Indian languages in addition to the Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
that she had learned in childhood, along with English.
She wrote a book based on her experiences in England and served as the Director of Vellore Medical College
Christian Medical College & Hospital
Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore is one of the largest medical centres in India. This century-old Christian institution was founded by Ida S...
between 1948 and 1954 and Chief Medical Officer at the Vellore hospital. She served for some time in the Government General Hospital, Madras. In Visakhapatnam, she held the posts of Principal of Andhra Medical College
Andhra Medical College
Andhra Medical College is one of the premier Medical colleges in India. It is affiliated to NTR University of Health Sciences.It is the oldest medical college in Andhra Pradesh & 6th oldest in INDIA.-History:...
and Superintendent of King George's Hospital. There is a Lazarus ward in the Victoria Hospital for Women and Child, where she also served.
Awards
In 1961, the Government of IndiaGovernment of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
honored her with the Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
award for her services.