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8 November 2005

Tuesday, 8 November 2005, 10.22 am - 11.38 am.

I received a newspaper article of TheStar - Nation dated Wednesday, 12 October 2005 page 6 from my eldest daughter on 25 October 2005 during the fasting month of Ramadhan 2005. She had just returned from Universiti Putra Malaysia for the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

The article read "Pioneer woman doctor dies". The photograph showed a portrait of Dr. Latifah Ghows. The caption read "Dr Latifah: The first Malay woman to graduate in medicine". The article mentions Taiping. Dr. Latifah Ghows had worked for more than 60 years in caring for the sick. Dr. Latifah Ghows passed away at 2 am on Tuesday, 11 October 2005 in Taiping Hospitalwhere she was warded since 5 October 2005. She was 94 years old. Dr. Latifah Ghows was the second among 7 siblings. She never married. A local historian, D.M. Ponnusamy has written about her.

There was also Dr. IM Ghows (Class of August 1917) who graduated from KEVII Medical School, Singapore (Search 1). Were Dr. Latifah Ghows and Dr. IM Ghows related?

I have not documented the early female Malay doctors because when I searched and surfed the Internet before starting to write, there is already a web page that contains the names of these doctors. Since there is someone already working on the early female Malay doctors, I do not see any point in duplicating that work. I have also avoided the early female Malay doctors because inadat Melayu (Malay customs) and in accordance with Islamic practices, I will need prior permission of their guardians or waris (relatives) for writing about them. Thus, I have focused my writing on our early male Malay doctors solely to avoid work duplication, for work simplicity, to adhere to and respect our customs and religion.

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Acknowledgement

Nuraishah Bazilah bt. Affandi

Student

Aerospace Engineering

Universiti Putra Malaysia

Author's eldest daughter

Great granddaughter of Dato' Dr. Haji Che Lah bin Mohd. Joonos (Class of March 1930)

She has met her great grandfather before age 1 in Feb-Mar 1985

Dr. Latifah Ghows (1911 - 2005)(graduation year MBBS 1942 UHK)

Died at 2 am on Tuesday, 11 October 2005 in Taiping Hospital

She was 94 years old

She was therefore probably born in 1911

She was second among 7 siblings

She was never married

She probably attended KE VII at age 23 in 1934 and graduated after 5 years in 1939

She probably joined the government medical service in 1939/40 and retired at age 55 years in 1966

Dr. Latifah Ghows had worked for more than 60 years in caring for the sick (does this include the 5 years at KEVII?)

Where did she work?

Was she related to Dr. IM Ghows?

Dr. IM Ghows (Class of August 1917)

Was he related to Dr. Latifah Ghows?

D.N. Ponnusamy

Historian

Wrote a book about Dr. Latifah Ghows
He has died by 2013

TheStar - Nation, Wednesday, 12 October 2005, page 6

Article "Pioneer woman doctor dies"

   Portrait of Dr. Latifah Ghows

   Caption "Dr Latifah: The first Malay woman to graduate in medicine"

   The article mentions Taiping

   Dr. Latifah Ghows passed away at 2 am on Tuesday, 11 October 2005 in Taiping Hospital

   She was warded since 5 October 2005

   She was 94 years old

   She was the second among 7 siblings

   She never married

   A local historian, D.M. Ponnusamy has written about her

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Telehealth Research Group
http://www.medic.usm.my/rnd/~telehealth
School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia