Nun makes history as Kerala’s first medical officer

Feb 28, 2025

Sister Jean Rose, a member of the Sisters of the Destitute, has made history as the first nun to be appointed as a medical officer in a Kerala government hospital.

According to the “Voice of Nuns,” an initiative of the Kerala Conference of Major Superiors and the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council Jagratha Commission, Sr Rose is the first Catholic nun to serve as a medical officer in a government hospital in the southern Indian state.

Sr Rose, also known as Rosamma Thomas, did her MBBS and postgraduate studies in anaesthesia at St John’s Medical College in Bengaluru.

She served for more than 10 years at a Church-managed hospital in Marayoor, a remote village home to several tribal communities.

She has successfully passed the Kerala Public Service Commission examination. Two years ago, she received her first appointment at the Kattappana Taluk Hospital.

She later sought a transfer to the Marayoor Family Health Centre, as she had worked in the region during her MBBS and National Health Mission service.

“While pursuing my MBBS and PG, and during my service with the National Health Mission, I worked in Marayoor,” she explained her decision to return.

The Facebook page of the “Voice of Nuns” stated that she specifically requested the opportunity to serve tribal and underprivileged communities in the Marayoor region.

“As part of a community that works for the destitute, I prefer to serve the poor and underprivileged,” she told Press Trust of India news agency. After completing her schooling in Chettuthodu, near Pala in Kottayam district, she participated in charitable services. --Matters India