Lady Hon. Florence Mary Macnaghten
1905
A devastating earthquake had struck the Kangra valley in the mid-Himalyas on 04 April 1905 killing more than 20,000 people in the region.
On call of volunteer service, Lady Hon Florence Mary Macnaghten who was at that time at Amritsar, more than 200 kms in the Punjab plains, set on foot northeast towards Kangra. After days of walking and trekking along the river Beas and rural dusty pathways along its tributaries, she reached Kangra.
There had been a small medical mission presence in the past organised by Dr W Sutton but only one of those stone built rooms were left with all others destroyed and 3 causalities amongst the team. Lady Florence, with the help of a local lady Ms Shanti Devi and a couple of volunteers’ help to get one room restored to be able to organise work and administer the sick and suffering. After weeks of medical and relief work, she went around to attend to people in nearby places. A lot of families would request her to attend to many a medical issues of the women. She found that there were a very high rate of cases of nutritional deficiencies and goitre amongst women, along with a high rate of maternal and infant mortality. Many of the issues were preventable through better nutrition, hygiene and sanitation that was bringing avoidable sufferings and needless death for a many. She was requested by a many a locals sought her to stay put for longer and to bring more doctors and health services to the region. Ms Florence vowed to stay put in Kangra and improve the medical facilities to the best of her abilities.
She called upon the Zenana mission for providing medical and education services support for the women in the region. On her requet, Dr Mrs Mildred Jean Haslam, who hailed from Canada and was with her husband in Amritsar, came to join Ms Florence Macnaghten at Kangra in 1906. Being of the similar age at work with shared common interests and commitment to women’s health and empowerment, they soon became fond friends. Both of them along with the support of local doctor Dr Ms Abdallah, and Ms Shanti Devi decided to set up a Women’s Hospital and a Girls School at Kangra for the welfare and empowerment of the women in the region.
During her pregnancy days, Dr Jean Haslam would also find a great support in Ms Florence Macnaghten. Fascinated by Florence’s personality and love from the local community, Dr Jean Haslam vowed to raise her daughter to become a doctor to return to Kangra and follow the footsteps of Ms Florence Macnaghten. And, in the honour of Ms Florence Macnaghten, on birth of their daughter on 21st Dec 1907, they named her as Florence too and was called the first daughter of the hospital.
Between 1907 to 1912, they all worked hard and raised money and materials through donations and fundraisers from the locals as well as from abroad to build a dispensary facility, made of stone and local clay work. This clinic provided an opportunity to the ladies to use their medical knowledge serving the needs of many a vulnerable and suffering local women and children. They started out as an out-patient-department (O.P.D) clinic and had initially 7 private room wards on the Kangra hill called the ‘Khud Wards’ ready.
With a good percentage of donations and support coming for the women’s hospital and school from Canada, the CMS decided to hand over the work and facilities to the Canadian mission. However, with many a doctors and volunteers arriving for brief contributions from other regions of the world including UK, EU, US and Australia, as well as from within Kangra region, the resource support continued to be global. Also, with the local Ms Asha Devi on their side, they remained conscious of the fact though the locals needed and loved the medical and education services but majority will stay away if it is seen as part of the religious evangelical work. So, the hospital team decided to keep their work separated from the church to cater to such local cultural sensitivities. This helped more locals to connect and develop some much needful local patronage too.
Having laid down good foundations In 2016, Dr Jean Haslam left with her daughter Florence to Canada for her studies with a commitment and hope that the Lady Florence Macnaghten will carry on to lead the mission and that the little Florence will one day return back to Kangra to continue their work.
For over thirty years Florence Macnaghten was an honorary volunteer worker / missionary on the staff of the Kangra hospital. She could have lived a life of ease and luxury in her beautiful home in Ireland, but she chose to serve the people of India and laboured amongst them with great success. In the early days she travelled far and wide on her errands of work. She came to be known as as the “Buddhi Mai”, which means “the beloved mother”. Patients who knew her and were about to undergo an operation, insisted that she should be present with them in the operating room. She would commit them to the doctor’s care, but they would not be content unless they felt her presence near them. Such is the faith which loving-kindness can provoke. Florence Mary Macnaghten continued to lead the Women’s Hospital at Kangra from 1916 after departure of Dr Mrs Jean Haslam to Canada.
Dr Jean had promised to guide and support the little Florence Haslam become a doctor and return to Kangra as a doctor to serve and further develop the facility. In the coming years a number of doctors came to serve including Dr Constance Jackson. When Lady Hon Florence Mary Macnaghten returned to UK in early 1930s, Dr Constance became incharge of the hospital.
Dr Florence Haslam continued the hard work at the hospital. She helped expand the hospital strength from 10 to 40 in a decade to cater to the local population needs. Learning about the continuing good work at Kangra, Lady Hon Florence Macnaghten came back to join the team and serve for a couple of more years. She was driven on a motorable road from Pathankot railhead, which was fifty miles from Kangra by an army officer who accompanied Miss Macnaghten on the journey. He recalled later that as they neared the town of Kangra they passed through crowds of people who were returning from a country fair. Many of them had known Miss Macnaghten and knew of her retirement, but had not heard of her proposed return. She was soon recognized and the cry went up:
“Buddhi Mai wapas a gaya hai” (the beloved mother has come back).It is stated that even a local royal had not ever received such a great impromptu public welcome in those times.
She was awarded the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal 1st Class for her for 1905 earthquake relief work, nursing and women’s medical health. She was the daughter of Lord Macnaghten of Ireland and her mother was the first cousin to Queen Victoria. She died on 26 January 1941 at about 70 years of age. A ward is named after her and it’s called ‘Macnaghten Ward’ which exists till date. Sister mcnaughten had also joined the hospital and gave her service to this institution and after her name a ward was named which was called the “Mac Ward” which still exists to date. She was the daugther of Lord Mcnaughten of Ireland and her mother was the first cousin to Queen Victoria.She served in this hospital till the early 30’s after which she left.
Ms ASHA DEVI
1905
Asha Devi ji
Dr Mildred Jean Haslam
1906
Dr Mrs Mildred Jean Haslam from Canada joined Ms Florence Macnaghten at Kangra in 1906. Being at work together, they became fond friends and shared common interests and commitment to women’s health and empowerment. Both of them along with the support of local doctor Dr Ms Abdallah, and Ms Shanti Devi decided to set up a Zanana (Women’s) Hospital and a Girls School at Kangra for the welfare and empowerment of the women in the region. During her pregnancy, Dr Jean Haslam found a great support in Ms Florence Macnaghten and she named her own daughter as Florence (born on 21 Dec 1907 at Kangra, she grew up in Canada to become a doctor and returned to Kangra at the age of 27 years to serve at and lead the medical hospital for 40 years from 1934 to 1973).
Between 1907 to 1912, they worked hard and raised money and materials through donations and fundraisers from the locals as well as from abroad to build a dispensary facility, made of stone and dhajji work. This clinic provided an opportunity to the ladies to use their medical knowledge serving the needs of many a vulnerable and suffering local women and children. They started out as an out-patient-department (O.P.D) clinic and had 7 private room wards on the Kangra hill called the ‘Khud Wards’.
With a high percentage of donations and initiatives of the Haslams, the hospital became a medical mission of the Canadian Anglicans, although many a doctors and volunteers as well as some resources will come from other regions of the world too. In 2016, Dr Jean Haslam left with her daughter Florence to Canada for her studies. Later, she became in charge of the Canadian Zanana Hospital Mission at Kangra, Punjab, India.
Dr Constance Victoria Jackson
1916
Dr Constance Jackson handed over the charge of the Maple Leaf Hospital to Dr Florence Haslam in 1936 and ventured out to undertake medical outreach and preventive health in the rural areas around Kangra.
She had felt that it was a hopeless task to deal with thousands of sick patients when no effort is being made to remove the causes of illness and so reduce the numbers of sick people. It was to meet this need that the dispensary vans were at work in the rural areas.
The medical outreach work carried on through mobile rural clinics that involved a travelling dispensary van and long walks on scheduled visits to the people in their villages in remote areas of Kangra to minister to their needs.
Dr. Constance Jackson with the assistance of a nurse would arrive at a village to disgorge its contents, and the equipment for the clinic was soon set in order. As soon as the van’s horn is heard, patients begin to come for attention. The doctor and her assistant will be busy all morning caring for their needs. In the afternoon they may visit another village or go into the homes of the people to teach the women and children. Instruction in child welfare and health habits is also given through medical and healthcare awareness. So much time and effort was taken up with care of patients that the medical volunteers / hospital staff did not engage in any kind of missionary work.
Dr. Jackson at the village of Tanda in Kangra valley, India during a medical outreach and public healthcare initiative where people of all ages come to the Clinics for treatment.
Many amusing incidents happen at such clinics. On one busy morning a patient began to describe symptoms. After hearing of his complaint the doctor said:
“There is really nothing wrong with you. All you need is a good dose of castor oil.”
With that she turned to another patient, after giving instructions that a dose of castor oil should be administered. The driver of the van was an old soldier who had been trained to do such things. He filled a large spoon and approached his victim. The man began to protest but he was sternly admonished to open his mouth and the dose was given to him without delay. Having swallowed it, he made a few wry faces, and when he got his breath he blurted out:
“It is not for me, I am not sick, it is my wife who is sick.”
Dr Florence Joyce Haslam
1935
Daughter of the Hospital, served and led for 40 years from 1935 to 1974 to its zenith of community service, acceptance and appreciation.
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Nurse Bansi Lal
1945
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Dr Arti Nilam
1946
Nurse Milfred Gray
1947
At age of 27, Milfred Gray volunteered to join the medical staff of the Maple Leaf Hospital at Kangra in India in 1947.
During her year long furloughs, she traveled across Canada from Vancouver to Newfoundland, speaking and sharing slides of her medical mission work in India raising money for the new building of the hospital and an x-ray machine unit that was a tremendous asset in service. She also took special training for this x-ray work on her last furlough in Canada. She went on to serve nineteen years in service with much joy at the Maple Leaf Hospital in Kangra valley, India.
After spending 20 years at Kangra as Head Nurse, she handed over her duties to Head Nurse Bansi Lal in 1966, to come home to look after her ailing father who called for her to Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Head Nurse Winnifred Gray at X-ray and Medical Diagnostic Facility, Maple Leaf Hospital, Kangra, India – 1952
Winnifred Mabel Adlington Gray was born and grew up in Calgary completing her training at the Calgary General Hospital, where she graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1942. She then sent to the University of Toronto, again graduating in 1944 as a Public Health Nurse, and returning to Calgary to practice until March, 1947.
On return from India, she worked in Dr. Pow and Dr. Frances’ medical office until retirement in the fall of 2003. She continued to carry forward her Maple Leaf Hospital experience of fund raising by devoting many hours to raising for charities in Canada, completing the Terry Fox Run, walking/biking up to fifty miles out to Turner Valley in the “Miles for Millions” fundraisers, then for fifteen years, walking up to sixteen kilometres and raising thousands of dollars in the annual MS Walks. She was a devoted “Friend of Kananaskis”, and spent many memorable camping trips in the mountains she loved.
Winnifred is remembered for her lifelong devotion to the medical mission, her giving, caring, and reaching out, and her ever present sense of humour. She has led a truly inspiring life till she passed away on April 27, 2011. She was remembered at the Memorial Service that was held in her memory at St. Stephens Anglican Church at 14 Avenue S.W., Calgary, as “Aunty Wyn”, a loving title she acquired in the community during her elderly years.
Dr PK Rajendra
1980
Dr Nelan Paul
1982
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