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Mary Poonen Lukose | |
|---|---|
 A vector drawing of Mary Poonen Lukose | |
| Born | (1886-07-30)30 July 1886 |
| Died | 2 October 1976(1976-10-02) (aged 90) |
| Occupations | Gynecologist, obstetrician |
| Known for | Medical service |
| Spouse | K. K. Lukose |
| Children | Grace Lukose, K. P. Lukose |
| Parent | T. E. Poonen |
| Awards | Padma Shri Vaidyasasthrakusala |
Mary Poonen Lukose (2 August 1886 - 2 October 1976) was an Indian gynecologist, obstetrician and the first female Surgeon General in India.[1] She was the founder of aTuberculosis Sanatorium inNagarcoil and theX-Ray and Radium Institute,Thiruvananthapuram, served as the head of the Health Department in thePrincely State of Travancore and was the first woman legislator of thestate.[1] TheGovernment of India awarded her the fourth highest Indian civilian award ofPadma Shri in 1975.[2]
Mary Poonen was born to a richAnglican Syrian Christian family as the only child[3][4] on 2 August 1886[5] inAymanam—a small village later made famous by being the setting of the novelThe God of Small Things—[6] in the princely state ofTravancore (modern dayKerala), in theBritish Indian Empire.[7] Her father, T. E. Poonen, was a medical doctor, the first medical graduate in Travancore and the Royal Physician of Travancore state.[1][5] Her mother had health issues due to which Mary was brought up by British governesses. She completed her schooling atHoly Angel's Convent High School, Thiruvananthapuram and topped the matriculation examination. However, she was denied admission for science subjects at the Maharajas College, Thiruvananthapuram (present dayUniversity College Thiruvananthapuram) for being a woman and had to pursue studies in history on which she graduated (BA) in 1909.
As Indian universities did not offer admission to women for medicine, she moved to London and secured MBBS from the London University.She continued in the UK to obtain MRCOG (gynecology and obstetrics) fromRotunda Hospital, Dublin and underwent advanced training in pediatrics at theGreat Ormond Street Hospital.[1] Later she worked in various hospitals in the UK and simultaneously pursued music studies to pass the London Music Examination.[1]
Dr Mary Poonen returned to India in 1916, the year her father died.[4] She took up the post of an obstetrician at theWomen and Children Hospital, at Thycaud inThiruvananthapuram[8] and also worked as the superintendent of the hospital, replacing a westerner who had returned to her native place after marriage.[7] Poonen's initial appointment was blocked as the role had traditionally been occupied by European staff, although this was overturned and she was paid on the same salary as European staff.[9] A year later, she married lawyer Kunnukuzhiyil Kurivilla Lukose (K. K. Lukose)[10][7][3] She went by the name Dr Mary Poonen Lukose following her marriage. During her tenure at Thycaud Hospital, she initiated a midwifery training program for the children of local midwives in order to win over their support and delivered her own first born child, Grace, at the hospital in 1918.[7] She performed the firstCaesarian section in Travancore before 1920, often operating under the light of hurricane lamps.[9][11][12]
In 1922 she was nominated to the legislative assembly of Travancore,[13] known asSree Chitra State Council, becoming the first woman legislator in the state.[7] Two years later, she was promoted as theActing Surgeon General of the state of Travancore, making her the first woman to be appointed as the surgeon general in India.[7][14] She continued at the hospital till 1938 during which time she was nominated to the state assembly continuously till 1937.[7] In 1938, she became the Surgeon General, in charge of 32 government hospitals, 40 government dispensaries and 20 private institutions.[4] She is considered to be the first woman appointed as a surgeon general in the world.[1][5][7][15] The first woman surgeon general in the US was appointed only in 1990.[4]
Lukose was one of the founders of the Thiruvananthapuram chapter of theYoung Women's Christian Association (YWCA) and became its founder president in 1918,[16] a position she retained till 1968.[7] She served as the Chief Commissioner of the Girl Guides in India[1][4] and was also a founder member of theIndian Medical Association and the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), which started asObstetric and Gynaecological Society.[7] As the surgeon general of the state, she is reported to have founded the Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Nagarcoil, one of the first sanatoriums in India, which later grew to become theKanyakumari Government Medical College.[17] She also founded theX-Ray and Radium Institute in Thiruvananthapuram.[7]
In 1917 Mary Poonen married Kunnukuzhiyil Kurivilla Lukose (K. K. Lukose),[10] anIndian Orthodox Christian lawyer who would later become a judge of the High Court of Travancore.[7][3] She nicknamed him Judgie.[18] They had two children, the eldest, Dr Grace Lukose (1919-1954), a medical doctor and assistant Professor of Surgery atLady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, who died in her mid 30s in an accident, trying to free a relation whose hair had become entangled in an electric fan.[19] The youngest, son K. P. Lukose, grew up to become a consul general, permanent representative of India to the United Nations and the Indian ambassador to Bulgaria.[7][5] Her husband died in 1947 and her two children also preceded her in death. She died on 2 October 1976 at the age of 90.[7]
She was a recipient of the title, Vaidyasasthrakusala, fromChithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the last Maharaja of Travancore.[1] TheGovernment of India awarded her the civilian honour ofPadma Shri in 1975.[2]
A biographyTrailblazer – The Legendary Life and Times of Dr Mary Poonen Lukose, Surgeon General of Travancore edited by Leena Chandran was published in 2019.[11][20]
{{cite book}}:|last2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)^ Malabar Manual. william logan. 1951.