Long before women were widely accepted in the medical profession, Dr. Rupa Bai Furdoonji, born in the late 19th century in India, etched her name into history as the first woman anaesthetist in the world.
Trained at the Hyderabad Medical School (now Osmania Medical College), Dr. Furdoonji graduated in 1889 — a time when women in medicine were rare, especially in fields like surgery and anaesthesia. She began administering anaesthesia at Afzalgunj Hospital, Hyderabad, under British and Indian surgeons, mastering the use of chloroform, then the standard anaesthetic agent.
- First woman in the world to formally practice as an anaesthetist.
- Recognized for her skill and calmness in the operation theatre.
- Was later sent to Edinburgh, Scotland, by the Nizam’s government to pursue further studies in physics and chemistry to deepen her knowledge of anaesthetic agents.
Dr. Rupa Bai Furdoonji’s pioneering contribution paved the way for women in the field of anaesthesia, long before the specialty became formally established worldwide. Today, she is remembered not just as India’s first woman anaesthetist, but as a global medical icon, who broke gender barriers in science and surgery.
