THE GRAND ‘MOM'

Dr Santhamma Mathew’s life-story and trail-blazing career as the pioneering specialist is not just one of determination and grit alone, but also one of empathy and devotion and is inspirational.

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As one of the leading and ac-claimed infertility special-ists of Kerala, Dr Santham-ma Mathew has touched the lives of tens of thousands of women in ways beyond imagination.

Long before infertility treatment options became available in Kerala, an 18-year-old Muslim girl, who had tumours in her ovaries, came to meet the renowned obstetrician gynaecologist, Dr Santhamma Mathew. Removal of the ovaries was the seemingly easier option, but it would have affected the fertility of the young girl. However, though it made the surgery more difficult and tedious, Dr Santhamma took care to leave behind some of the healthy ovarian tissue from both ovaries during the surgery. She then prescribed her contraceptive pills until her marriage, to prevent exhaustion of production of her eggs. Two years later, a teary-eyed girl, then already married, came to see Dr Santhamma, to share with her the joyous news of her pregnancy. This is merely one of the several gratifying experiences Dr Santhamma has to share in her journey as a doctor.

Dr. Santhamma Mathew’s life story and trail-blazing career as the pioneering specialist is not just one of determination and grit alone, but also one of empathy and devotion and is inspirational.

In the context of the International Mothers’ Day, which falls on May 9th, Dr Santhamma spoke to Unique Times about her 52-yearlong and continuing career at Sree Avittam Thirunal (SAT) Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, and subsequently as managing director and chief consultant of Credence Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, during which she had personally performed several tens of thousands of deliveries, gynaecological surgeries and treated hundreds of thousands of patients in her out-patient department, a rare and unique feat for a woman who handled her role as a mother and grandmother with the same élan.