Exhibition featuring Basavanagudi’s doctors on till Sunday

Walk into the Indian Institute of World Culture, and you will find 70 frames with images of doctors and their achievements staring back at you. Titled ‘Vintage Salute’, the photography exhibition is on display to commemorate National Doctor’s Day, which is observed on July 1 every year.

Basavanagudi, a neighbourhood rooted in heritage, has a large number of intellectuals as residents, says Maya Chandra, founder-director of Maya Films, who has curated the show. It was inaugurated on Monday.

The show features 30 medical professionals who were practising between 1940 to 1980 — from varied fields including ayurveda, allopathy, and homeopathy.

General practitioners like Dr B V Ramaswamy (1914-1994), Dr Sridhara Murthy, Dr A Chandrashekhar, Dr Seetha Jayapal, and Dr Radha have been featured. “There are also other pioneers in their respective fields like Dr B K Narayana Rao, the first eye surgeon of the Mysore state; Dr H K Srinivasamurthy, Bengaluru’s first orthopaedic surgeon; and Dr Y N Krishnamurthy who became one of the first Indians to specialise in radiology abroad, and was commissioned by the then Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar to establish Karnataka’s first radiology department at Victoria Hospital,” explains the history enthusiast, who is also a resident of Basavanagudi. Mental health professionals are also featured.

Women power

A few of the interesting female medics featured include Dr M T Sundaramma (1924-2008) who went on to start Jubilee Nursing Home with her radiologist husband Dr Vishweshwariah in 1960.

“Dr M Mary Ratnamma Isaac (1887-1970), who is India’s first lady surgeon, trained in the UK for Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS), and ran a maternity home called Ratnamma’s Maternity Home at her home in Basavanagudi,” shares Maya. Other women doctors featured include Dr Nagamma and Dr Kamalamma, who were both child widows. Dr Chandramma Sagar, who completed triple FRCS from London, Edinburgh and Glasgow, started Chandra Nursing Home near National College, Basavanagudi. 

The exhibition is on till July 7, 10 am to 7 pm, at the Indian Institute of World Culture, B P Wadia Road, Basavanagudi.