Lucy Oommen
Lucy Oommen was an Indian gynaecologist[1] and the first medical director of Indian origin at the St Stephen's Hospital, Delhi.[2] Born to P. K. Oommen and Kochannamma and sister to Jacob Oommen and Alice,[3] in the south Indian state of Kerala, she graduated in medicine from the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore[4] and joined St Stephen's Hospital Delhi as a surgeon in 1942.[5] She then took charge as superintendent from Dr. Morris.[6] AchievementsShe became the first Indian to hold the position of director at the institution, and held the post till her retirement in 1988.[5] She was awarded the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1977.[7] St. Stephen's Hospital instituted an award, Dr. Lucy Oommen Award, in 2005,[8] for recognizing excellence in Mother and Child Care,[2] the first of the awards going to Sharda Jain, a known gynecologist based in New Delhi in 2008.[9] She was awarded for her work in Obstetrics and Gynaecology including the social work that she had initiated.[8] Dr. Lucy had been a gold medalist of the year during her college. After her death, St. Stephen's Hospital added her name to a wing of the hospital, now called the Dr. Lucy Oommen, Mother and Child Block.[10] ContributionsSt. Stephen's Hospital realized a growth from a maternity hospital comprising 140 beds to a general one comprising 450 beds, after the work done by Dr. Lucy. She also formed an institution called Patient's Welfare Society, which is a group that supports patients for free.[10] She was also the personal physician for the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.[11] Oommen never married. [4] She died of old age Parkensis[12] in March 2002. See alsoReferences
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