SHARADA MENON: FIRST WOMAN PSYCHIATRIST OF INDIA
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| Sarada Menon, Chennai |
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Almost 80 years ago,
when men wore mere mundu with no upper garment and women with pleated
long hair
weren’t as socially mobile as they are today, a young girl, one among
the 11
sibilings, decided she would study medicine after Intermediate. And in the fourth year of her study, she had
to encounter the psychiatry ward, where the hellish ambience set her on
the
path to become the first woman psychiatrist of India.
That young
doctor is Sarada Menon, now 98. Born in Mangaluru
and brought up in Chennai, she joined diploma course in psychiatry in
England
after post-graduation but had to return home following her father’s
illness.
Later she
completed
similar course at Nimhans, Bangalore and joined at Government Mental
Hospital
at Chennai. By the time she retired in
1978, she was destined to teach the subject and guide doctoral scholars.
During her stint
at
Chennai, she was instrumental in starting of outpatient wing called
Industrial
Therapy Centre. Today, it has grown into
a huge organization.
In 1994 she
started the
Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF).
Its effort at rehabilitation of cured patients won the
acknowledgement
of WHO.
Based on all
these
achievements and toils, the nation honoured her with a Padma Bhushan in
1992.
Has she herself
gone
through a depressive mood? There is no
one who would not have had a depressive phase.
The demise of beloved ones and the unexpected negative
outcomes of life
would lead to tension in everyone. But
the antidot for the same is to forget oneself by being engaged in
either some
creative work or in helping others.
Even at the age
of 98,
her day starts at 6 am. In the forenoon
she would spend time replying to mail and reading new developments in
the
professional field. In the afternoon,
from 3 pm to 8 pm, she would conduct online consultation.
Later she would prepare short notes on her
patients before calling it a day at 10.30 pm.
Roopa Dayabji (text), Vanitha, September 18 – October 1, 2021
