Mary C. Albuquerque ( born about 1890 – died after 1952), known professionally as M. C. Albuquerque or MC Albuquerque, was an Indian physician. She was medical superintendent of the

Vanivilas Women and Children Hospital Vani Vilas Women and Children Hospital is a government run hospital in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. It is attached to the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute. It was built in 1935, at a cost of 4lakhs. The first medical superinten ...

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

from 1937 to 1948.

Early life

Albuquerque was from

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to th ...

. She trained as a doctor at

Madras Medical College Madras Medical College (MMC) is a public medical college located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established on 2 February 1835, it is the second oldest medical college in India, established after Calcutta Medical College. History The Govern ...

, and in England at the

London School of Medicine for Women The London School of Medicine for Women (LSMW) established in 1874 was the first medical school in Britain to train women as doctors. The patrons, vice-presidents, and members of the committee that supported and helped found the London School of M ...

, where she earned a diploma in medicine, surgery, and midwifery in 1916. In 1938, she was admitted as a member of the

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is a professional association based in London, United Kingdom. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that ...

Career

During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, Albuquerque was a resident medical officer on the staff of the Essex County Hospital in

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colc ...

; she and Flora Nihal Singh were the first women doctors and the first Asian doctors on the staff. On her return to India, Albuquerque worked with

Jerusha Jhirad Jerusha Jacob Jhirad FRCOG, MBE (21 March 1891 – 2 June 1984) was an Indian physician.Sharon Kirsh, Florence Kirsh (2002). ''Fabulous Female Physicians''. Second Story Press. . pp. 40-48 Early life and education Jhirad born in Shivamogga, ...

at the Bangalore Maternity Hospital, as senior obstetrician from 1922 to 1925. After Jhirad left for Bombay, Albuquerque became senior medical officer at the hospital. In 1935 she was appointed medical superintendent at the new Vanivilas Women and Children Hospital. She established the hospital's nursing school and dormitory for nurses. She served on the faculty of the medical school at the

University of Mysore The University of Mysore is a public state university in Mysore, Karnataka, India. The university was founded during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore. The university is recognised by the University Grants Commissio ...

. Albuquerque retired from Vanivilas in 1948, but continued practicing as a physician. She was an adviser to the

Mysore State Mysore State, colloquially Old Mysore, was a state within the Dominion of India and the later Republic of India from 1947 until 1956. The state was formed by renaming the Kingdom of Mysore, and Bangalore replaced Mysore as the state's capita ...

Medical Department. She advocated for the establishment of the All-India Tuberculosis Institute. She was honored by the Mysore State government with the title "Sastra Vaidya Praveen". She was a member of the local reception committees when the

Indian Science Congress Indian Science Congress Association(ISCA) is a premier scientific organisation of India with headquarters at Kolkata, West Bengal. The association started in the year 1914 in Kolkata and it meets annually in the first week of January. It has a ...

met in Bangalore in 1932 and in 1951. In 1953, she was president of the Bangalore branch of the All-India Women's Food Council.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Albuquerque, M. C. Medical doctors from Goa Indian obstetricians Indian medical administrators Hospital administrators Madras Medical College alumni People from Bangalore Academic staff of the University of Mysore Year of birth uncertain