Despite any hard situations, rising and moving toward our goal requires a lot of courage and hard work. This was shown in the journey of Zulekha Daud, an Indian woman who became the UAE’s first female doctor and Dubai's richest Indian woman.
Behind her success, there are hardships. Zulekha Daud was born in Nagpur, Maharashtra, into a financially restrained family. Her father was a daily wage worker, and he ought to work hard to help his family. However, these hindrances couldn't stop her dream. She graduated from Government Medical College in Nagpur with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees, with a specialization in gynecology.
In every person’s life, there is a turning point that lays the path for their success. After completing her medical studies, in 1964 she moved to the UAE, which led her down a new path. Zulekha Daud became the UAE's first female doctor to practice medicine. She showed her dedication to her profession as a gynecologist; she delivered over ten thousand babies in Dubai. She expressed that I was a gynecologist by specialization, but I was treating patients with several medical issues, from smallpox to a dislocated arm to a viral infection. There were not many doctors in the city. In those days, malaria was an uncontrolled situation that needed to be treated instantly.
Dr. Zulekha Daud founded the Zulekha Hospital Group in 1922. Her idea behind this establishment was that, in the early days of her career in Dubai, she noticed the limited resources of technology, and at that time there were no X-ray machines, laboratories, or ultrasound machines to diagnose a disease and no medicines to treat, as seen today. For the accurate diagnosis of a disease and its treatment, the doctor's skill and experience all matter. Acknowledging this void and offering progressive healthcare services, she established the Zulekha Hospital Group. And it's not a business venture; it’s a ray of hope for many people.
Zulekha Daud recalled that she came from a conservative Muslim family. But her parents were liberal and supportive. It was her father's dream to see her and her siblings educated. The financial situation was not good at home, but education was given importance as a means of livelihood.
Through all these hardships, now at the age of 84, Zulekha Daud is a chairperson and founder of Zulekha Hospital Group, and she received India's highest honor for overseas Indians, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, in 2019. Named in Forbes Middle East's Top 100 Indian Leaders in the UAE. Zulekha Hospital Group's global revenue is USD 440 million, or 3632 crore. She also contributed over Rs. 20 crore to her hospital in Sharjah. A contract of Rs. 198 crore with the World Bank to open a top medical facility in Nagpur. Showing her dedication to bringing affordable healthcare.
(Input from various media sources)
(Rehash/Lavanya Beeraboina)