Ludhiana, January 28
A frail 84-year-old former doctor with the Christian Medical College and Hospital keeps returning to the hospital from Scotland every year to render her services to the CMC where she taught for 33 years. This lady with indomitable courage and dedication to the cause of serving humanity is Dr Betty Cowan.
Sharing experiences of her long innings at the CMC and her attachment to the hospital, she said: “It was Jesus who turned my
direction to the CMC. I come every year in winters to take care of some projects. This year my project was raising of funds. Some years ago, I had started a creche in the hospital for the children of the hospital employees. The creche is doing fine with 20 children. But there is always a shortage of funds. Back home in Scotland, young boys take to ‘car wash’ on Sundays. The priests give them sweets and owners give them money. These boys donate all the money they collect. I raised funds of about half a million when I found out that the housing project needed half a million pounds.”
Dr Cowan has worked in setting up a department of ‘medical photography’. This department prepares slides of international quality which the doctors could carry with them for presentation of their papers. She has also worked for alumni association. Due to her fund raising activities one block meant for doctors residence has been named after her. She has also raised funds by writing an autobiography, Doctor, May I run with you.
She worked as a Professor from 1958-1993, during her stay in India. Besides teaching, she was very keen on working to prevent diseases among rural folk. She along with doctor Harbans Dhillon, Joint Secretary Family Planning, worked for improving the health of girl child. Later, Dr Jasbir Dhanoa Principal of the CMC, worked with her for improving the upbringing of rural children. They also encouraged mothers to breast-feed their children and told them about immunisation and nutrition. Due to their efforts, the infant mortality rate came down and health of children got improved.
Dr Cowan regrets that gender bias still prevails, rather it has become worse. She worked specially on the TB patients. She says: “In India, one person dies of tuberculosis every minute. This disease has to be tackled with very forcefully. Actually, when the patient is diagnosed of this disease, he takes the medication, gets better and stops taking it. But when the symptoms reappear the medicines are ineffective and the patient dies. Behind every tragedy there stands a defaulting doctor who cannot keep track of his patient and by irregular medication drives a nail into his coffin.”
She is currently compiling all her knowledge about TB in a book. Dr Brown meets people, advises yet another group waiting for her and is generally seen moving in the corridors of the CMC.
She was working in a hospital in Scotland when Dr Pollock of the CMC visited the hospital and told her that doctors were required in the CMC. She did not know much about CMC and India but following the directives of Jesus she came to India, where she was to reside for more than three decades.
On comparing the present CMC with the CMC of the yesteryear, she said: “I think the hospital is blessed. People say that cost of treatment is high but no other hospital in India treats patients free of cost as does this hospital. During the centenary year of the hospital, former Chief Minister Beant Singh had inaugurated “low-cost ward.” The doctors and students from abroad are pleasantly surprised to see highstandards and knowledge of the doctors here.”
Dr Betty has been working tirelessly for the people of India for decades as Jesus wanted and will continue to work as long as He wants.
