The Women’s Medical Service for India (also referred to as the Women’s Medical Service) was a state-funded medical service for

women A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or Adolescence, adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female hum ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

. Until its foundation in 1913, medical care for women in India was limited to that provided by

missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

or charities like the

Countess of Dufferin Fund The Countess of Dufferin Fund was established by Hariot Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava, more commonly known as Lady Dufferin, in 1885 and was dedicated to improving women's healthcare in India. The Fund was founded after ...

. Both British and Indian women could apply to work in the service: an article in

The Lancet ''The Lancet'' is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal and one of the oldest of its kind. It is also the world's highest-impact academic journal. It was founded in England in 1823. The journal publishes original research articles, ...

in 1923 noted that recruits from Britain would have first class passage paid and that although the rates of pay are lower than in the Indian Medical Service, lodging is provided and the duties are lighter.

Margaret Ida Balfour Margaret Ida Balfour, FRCOG (21 April 1866 – 1 December 1945) was a Scottish medical doctor and campaigner for women’s medical health issues, who made a significant contribution to the development of medicine in India. Her prolific writing ...

served as its first director until she retired in 1924.

Charlotte Leighton Houlton Charlotte Leighton Houlton CBE (23 October 1882 – 13 December 1956) was a British physician. Early life Charlotte Leighton Houlton was born in Hull in Yorkshire, one of the ten children of John Houlton and Charlotte Leighton Houlton. She ...

was the service's Chief Medical Officer from 1935 to 1939.

References

Medical and health organisations based in India 1913 establishments in India {{med-org-stub

See also

References