Razia Rahimtoola ( ur, ; born Razia A. K. Gul-Mohammad in
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...
on 29 August 1919; died 13 November 1988 in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
) was a Chair of Pediatrics
Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre
The Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (J.P.M.C., also known as ''Jinnah Hospital, Karachi'') is located at ''Rafiqui Shaheed Road'' in Karachi Cantonment area of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre In 2015, approximately ...
,
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
. She was the first woman to be elected a fellow of the
Royal College of Physicians
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is a British professional membership body dedicated to improving the practice of medicine, chiefly through the accreditation of physicians by examination. Founded by royal charter from King Henry VIII in 1 ...
Grant Medical College
The Grant Government Medical College, Mumbai, is a public medical college, affiliated to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. Founded in 1845, it is one of the oldest institutions teaching medicine in South Asia.
Its clinical affil ...
in 1942 followed by which she worked as house physician for six months in J.J. Hospital
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...
.
She was then commissioned in the I.M.S/L.A.M.C. and rose to the rank of acting Major functioning as a graded physician. Following partition of the sub-continent in 1947 she resigned from the commission and proceeded to the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
for postgraduate studies. She secured her D.C.H. London in 1951 followed by M.R.C.P.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
in 1953. During her stay in the United Kingdom she also worked as Senior House Officer and Senior Registrar in South Wales.
Upon return to
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
in 1953 Dr. Rahimtoola was appointed as Assistant Professor of Medicine,
Dow Medical College
Dow Medical College is a public medical school located in the city of Karachi, Sindh. It was founded in 1945 and named after British civil servant Sir Hugh Dow, Governor of Sindh.
In 2003, it became a constituent college of the newly forme ...
and Associate Physician,
Civil Hospital
Dr. Ruth K. M. Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, commonly known as Civil Hospital Karachi, is a 1,900-bed tertiary care public hospital that imparts both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and training.
It is one of the teaching hospitals aff ...
, Karachi. It was during this period (1962) that she qualified for a Fulbright Grant and hence received training in Pediatrics Cardiology under Helen Tausiq at Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, United States.
Towards the end of 1963 Dr. Razia was appointed in Pediatrics at the
Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre
The Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (J.P.M.C., also known as ''Jinnah Hospital, Karachi'') is located at ''Rafiqui Shaheed Road'' in Karachi Cantonment area of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre In 2015, approximately ...
Karachi. She was awarded the F.R.C.P. in 1964. Following retirement of Prof. Hamid M. Khan in 1972 she was selected as Chair of Pediatrics, JPMC. During this period she was also conferred Fellowship by the
College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan
The College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan ( ur, , abbreviated as CPSP) is a regulatory college established in 1962 by a special act of the Parliament of Pakistan to oversee the postgraduate medical education and professional development. ...
. She was also conferred the gold medal by the President of Pakistan for her contributions towards Child Health and Pediatrics.
Research and publications
Razia Rahimtoola was involved in publication works which covered subjects in General Medicine and Pediatrics including Hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy, post-vaccinial encephalomyelitis tuberculosis meningitis, amoebiasis, scleroderma, Congenital abnormalities in the new-born, Thalassaemia and other hematological disorders in children, Cerebral Palsy in children, Perinátal mortality etc. published in Pakistani Journals and International journals such as
Acta Paediatrica
''Acta Paediatrica'' is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal covering paediatrics. It is published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Foundation Acta Paediatrica, based at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.
History
The journal was established ...
. Dr Rahimtoola devoted her time to under nutrition and malnutrition in children in Khudadad Colony,
Mahmudabad, Karachi
Mehmoodabad or Mahmudabad () is a neighborhood in District of East Karachi, Karachi East district of Karachi, Pakistan. It was previously administered as part of Jamshed Town,Pakistan Medical Research Council and published her findings. She was a contributor to Ilyas and Ansari's Text Book on Community Medicine and to the Text Book of Pediatrics for Developing Countries edited by Wasti, Arif and Hanif. Her most monumental work is a tome on Pediatrics which she had edited and prepared with the help of many collaborators.
Accolades
Razia Rahimtoola was noted as a 'teacher to remember' for her detailed studies on infant and child nutrition.
Professor Rahimtoola was described as a 'jewel' for her work towards humanity and the medical profession in general.
Personal life
She was married to a lawyer based out of Karachi. They did not have any children. She died after a difficult illness.
Her father in law, Hoosenaly Rahimtoola was a well known Legislator of the Bombay Presidency in British India.
Awards
* Gold Medal for contributions to Pediatrics by President of Pakistan