“In a land where hearts beat strong and true, Emerges a sisterhood, a remarkable crew.
They wear their white coats with pride and grace, sister doctors, healers in every case.
In rural villages, far and wide, they journey on, bridging the divide.
Reaching the underserved, the ones in need, sister doctor plant a caring seed.”
- Poem by Sister doctor
In an age where health care is increasingly looked upon only as profitable business, an encouraging trend has emerged in India of Catholic religious congregations educating their sisters to study medicine and become Sister Doctors. In the United States, and also in India, it is difficult to get medical doctors to practice in rural areas and to get health care institutions to serve those without the financial means to pay full price for treatments. Countering this trend, 85% of India’s Catholic Sister Doctors serve in rural areas in facilities often supported by their congregations as these are areas where the institutions are unlikely to bring in enough capital to meet their bills without some outside sources of funding, such as the central, North East, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala regions.
These Sister Doctors provide curative, promotive and palliative care service and thus contribute to restore the health and wholeness of the people who live in the medically underserved areas of our great nation. They follow the footsteps of the divine healer with great passion for God and compassion for humanity. In addition, they usually work with Sister Nurses from the same congregation and they live and work together.
The trend is for the number of Sister Doctors to rise. In 2013, according to the Sister Doctors Forum in India there were 537 registered. In 2023, they report 723, an increase of 35%.
As my current research at CARA has been finding, it is the congregations themselves who have spurred this growth. Although it is a preliminary finding, at present, 77% of the Sister Doctors I have been interviewing say they were asked by their congregations to study medicine and become doctors, rather than having entered religious life wanting to be doctors. As one Sister Doctor notify: “To me personally had no desire to be a doctor, my desire is to become a nurse to serve the sick and suffering, but I was asked by my authority to become a doctor and work in a rural area. I said ‘Yes’. Became a doctor and working in a remote rural area serving the poor. I am very happy in my ministry”.
The ministry of sister doctors is true evangelization. Christians in India make up only 2.5% of the total population. Such a statistic can be deceiving, however. In 2021, there were 1.4 billion Indians, making for an estimated 35 million Catholics. Frequently serving the poorest of the poor, the health care they provide is most often to people of other faiths (Hindu and Muslim patients).
Breaking free from societal expectations and traditional gender roles, these extraordinary women have embarked on a path less traveled, paving the way for a brighter, more inclusive future. Their rise not only represents a significant shift in the gender dynamics of the medical profession but also highlights the immense potential and determination of women in Indian society. As one Sister Doctor I interviewed noted: “I think that passion is the secret ingredient that drives hard work and excellence”.
The Sister Doctors have specialized in various fields of Medicine like Cardiology, General Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Gynecology & Obstetrics, Radiology, Psychiatry, Pathology, Family Medicine, and Public Health Medicine and other streams like AYUSH, and Naturopathy.
They also face challenges being Catholic and serving in public hospitals, being asked to perform procedures not approved by the Catholic Church as One Sister Doctor described it: To follow Church obligations vs governments laws are very difficult.
Being both a sister and a doctor presents some unique challenges, however, being on call and treating a patient overnight and being expected to participate in the prayer, social, and communal life of one’s community where they live and work can pose real problems for the Sister Doctors. As one noted: No leave, no outing, 365 days’ work, have to participate in all religious activities and work, so no our own time, no updates. I find it difficult to spend quality time in prayer while I'm able to work day and night unceasingly. So, in the process I compromise on prayer in exchange for work. That leaves a deep dent in my conscience and in my commitment.
That said, 87% of the Sister Doctors I have surveyed up to present say they would again choose to be religious sisters and be doctors if they had the choice. According to our preliminary findings, over all, almost all sister doctors are satisfied with their ministry as a medical doctor. Nine in ten of the responding sister doctors have a sense of contribution to the larger purpose, a sense of personal accomplishment, and are satisfied with support they receive for their current ministry.
As this is an upward trend, we think you’ll be hearing more about Sister Doctors in the future as their presence, ministry, and impact continues to influence. India, the world’s most populous nation and thus the world at large.
This blog was written by CARA Visiting Scholar Sr. Mini Joseph, JMJ.
