New Delhi: Kadambini Ganguly, India's first female doctor, is being remembered by Google on her 160th birthday. Google has made a doodle on her birthday, honoring his life and work. Ganguly was born on July 18, 1861. She was the first woman to be admitted to the Calcutta Medical College in 1884. This was an extraordinary achievement of the 19th century as in those times men attended medical college exclusively.
Kadambini Ganguly pioneered a successful medical practice in India for women with other female doctors like Anandibai Joshi from Mumbai. Incidentally, the question of who was the first woman doctor in India can be settled by the fact that both Ganguly and Joshi earned their degrees in medicine in 1886. Ganguly received his graduation degree from Calcutta Medical College. At the same time, Joshi did her degree from Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, USA. However, his career was cut short by Joshi's untimely death in 1887 at the age of 21.
First female doctor to be trained in European medicine in South Asia
Kadambini Ganguly became the first female doctor to be trained in European medicine in South Asia in 1886. Three years later, she was the first woman to appear on the podium of the Indian National Congress session.
Started career as Gynecologist
Ganguly went to the United Kingdom (UK) in 1892 and received further training from Dublin, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. After returning from there, she started her career as a gynecologist. She started working at Lady Dufferin Hospital in Kolkata, and there she continued her practice till her last days. He died on 3 October 1923.
Kadambini Ganguly paved the way for the emancipation of women at a time when cultural and social life was dominated by men. She was the second wife of Dwarkanath Ganguly, a prominent leader of the Brahmo Samaj. Dwarkanath's first wife died a few years after their marriage.