Health issues in British India
Reviewed by Jayanti Roy

Colonial Medical Care in North India. Gender State and Society 1840-1920
by Samiksha Seherawat.
Oxford University Press. Pages 292. Rs 895

Health care existed in India since ancient times and there are references of hospitals even in the era of Ashoka the Great. However, state-sponsored institutional medical care, as we see it today, was introduced, expanded and funded by the colonial state. This book chronicles the history of medical care and hospitals from 1840-1920. And in the process, paints a picture of the Indian society of that time, its dilemmas, evolution, ideologies, anti-colonial nationalism and several other dimensions, which dominated life in that period of 80 years. History can be written in many ways and each way makes us look back in time with a different perspective, enriching our knowledge and understanding. This is true for the book in hand.

It was in the 19th and 20th century that the state-sponsored health-care institutes was set up in the country. The effort of the government to fund health care did not emerge from the need to keep the community healthy but from a series of events involving colonial projects. However, gradually a paradigm shift could be observed in the state’s idea of health expenditure as a productive investment.

In the epilogue, the author traces the colonial roots of the organisational structure of Indian health services. The six articles in the book are dedicated to tracing the roots of colonial medical care, finances, eye surgeries, women medical care and army hospitals.

It is quite interesting to know that the primary challenge for the state was to ensure that purdah practice was not violated in the hospitals and caste-hierarchical customs and practices were rigorously followed. Providing up-to-date facilities of medical care were not as important. Unfortunately, contributions from Indian elites came in lieu of decorative titles or other superficial benefits. Something that was a reality at that time seems to be a ridiculous trivia today. Several such insights can be gained through these writings.

The writer has culled the factual information by digging out various repositories and archives kept in London as well as in Chandigarh and Panchkula. Each research paper is substantiated with extensive footnotes and illustrated with tables, figures, maps and old photographs, helping in the better understanding of the subject. An exhaustive bibliography is a delight for the researcher. The content of the book is of value to historians, sociologists, medicine and public health researchers and those who are interested in studying the history of medical care in India.

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