Kamini Chaudhuri

The first female physician in India, breaking barriers in medical education and healthcare for women in the late 19th century.

Kamini Chaudhuri (1864–1904), born Kamini Chaudhuri, was India’s first female physician, graduating from Calcutta Medical College in 1892. She defied societal norms by pursuing medicine at a time when women were excluded from professional education. Her advocacy led to the establishment of the Lady Dufferin Hospital in Kolkata, India’s first women’s hospital staffed entirely by female doctors. Chaudhuri’s work addressed maternal health and childcare, directly impacting infant mortality rates in colonial India. She also co-founded the Indian Women’s Medical Association, fostering gender equality in healthcare professions. Despite her early death at 40, her legacy inspired generations of Indian women to enter medicine. Explore her biography through Wikipedia or academic papers on JSTOR.