Dr Mary de Sousa

Born in May 1890 into a family of landlords of Bandra and Mathaparcardy, Bombay, she was one of ten children of Peter Paul Pereira and Anna Quiteria Pereira. Her grandfather, Dr. Michael Francis Fernandes, was a doctor in the Indian Army and a Mutiny Veteran who earned decorations.

Educated at a mission school in Bombay, she joined Grant Medical College in 1909. Here she met the young man, Aleixo Caetano Lactancio de Sousa (ACL), who was to be her partner in life. She distinguished herself at Medical school and was the first woman medical student to win the coveted Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy Prize for “promoting the practical applications Medical Science in the fields f Medicine, Surgery, Midwifery and Medical Jurisprudence in India”. She was also the recipient of the Bai Hirabai Cama Gold Medal for Midwifery.

Prior to her departure for Kenya, she worked as Medical Officer in the Medical Department of the State of Bhavnagar and Chota Udaypur. On her return to Bombay she worked as House Surgeon at the Kerrawala Maternity. On the return of Dr. ACL de Sousa returned from Kenya and they were married on September 2, 1919 at Rosary Church, Mazagon, Bombay.

She was the first Asian woman doctor to come to East Africa and perhaps the continent. And thus, began a life of service not known to have been rendered by any other Asian woman. Conditions in which midwifery practice was carried out were pathetic. No qualified midwives or nurses, abject poverty, concentration of the poor within the confines of the commercial areas and a turbulent political situation were not encouraging for one who had worked in more congenial conditions. The K.A.R. Hospital only provided basic medical services. Sepsis among Indian women during confinement was frequent and on her devolved the responsibility of attending deliveries in the homes of her patients. This is what prompted her to dedicate her life in the Asian Section of the Lady Grigg Welfare League and she delivered to the Asian community the Maternity Hospital at Ngara which she personally supervised and for which she went door to door and collected funds.

When she delivered a fully furnished hospital to Lady Grigg, her strong values and loyalty to her community made her decline the offer of appointment on the first committee neither did her husband accept the appointment as one of the first members of the Board as the constitution did not make provision for representation of the Indian community on the Managing Committee.

Keenly interested in the education of both boys and girls, she was a member of the Nairobi Indian School Area Committee and the Central Advisory Council on Indian Education. She advocated the provision of an Indian Girls School. Beyond the classroom she served on the committee of the Girl Guides Association and was also interested in the Boys Scouts for whom she raised funds through a Flag Day to send the scouts on a Jamboree to England, perhaps for the first time ever. Her services were acknowledged by the Director of Education.

Intensely religious, she had comfort in her long ten-year illness, in prayer and the sacraments of the Church.

She died in her sleep on July 9, 1953. Her life exemplifies a beautiful blend of eastern and western cultures and Christian values. Simplicity and modesty were her hallmarks and so was her devotion to her family. This the noblest legacy left behind for Asian women to emulate.

Alan Rodrigues

(Eldest grandson of Dr. Mary and Dr.ACL de Sousa)

Grateful Acknowledgements : The GOAN VOICE

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Additional References:

Wikipedia

Google Books: Doctors beyond Borders: The Transnational Migration of Physicians in the Twentieth Century