KOCHI: Little did Dr Umadevi Antharjanam know that her life would change completely when she came to Thiruvananthapuram from Pathanamthitta to pursue graduation in Chemistry at the Government College for Women. She got married to Krishnaru after finding a job as a primary school teacher, who encouraged her to study MBBS at the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram.
On completion of the course in 1958, Dr Umadevi became the first doctor from the Namboodiri community. As Dr Umadevi celebrates her 90th birthday on Saturday, her son Dr Suresh K talks to TNIE about her inspiring journey.
“Our grandfather Gopalakrishnaru wanted his children to have good education. So, he sent our mother and her elder sister to Thiruvananthapuram for graduation. However, he didn’t have the financial capability to send them for higher studies,” says Suresh, a former professor and the head of Cardiology, Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. “Our father was working as a section assistant in the Secretariat then.
A topper during his studies, he had to postpone his higher education for around 10 years as he had to support the family. He knew the importance of education and encouraged our mother throughout,” adds Suresh. Dr Umadevi was also the first graduate from Kerala to secure specialisation in paediatrics. Soon, she was appointed as a lecturer in the Department of Medicine, Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram.
“Our father was so confident about her potential that he sent her to London to obtain an MRCP certification while he took care of us. In an era where most women were confined to their homes, our father encouraged her to study as much as she could,” says Suresh.
Dr Umadevi completed Part 1 of MRCP and returned to Kerala as she started missing the family. She soon obtained MD in General Medicine and retired as a professor from the Department of Medicine in 1985. Later, she resorted to sending time with family.
“It was our mother who encouraged my sister Savithri and me to study MBBS,” says Suresh. However, he adds that their father was very instrumental in their success. “He used to sit with her while she studies. The same thing continued when my sister and I joined MBBS. He was familiar with many medical terms and our syllabus. So he was a ‘doctor’ too,” quips Suresh. Though ailing from age-related issues, Dr Umadevi is happily residing at Suresh’s residence in Jawahar Nagar.