MOGS History

It was in 1934, a small group of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists who converged in Mumbai, then Bombay, and resolved to affiliate together under the tag of the Bombay Obstetric and Gynaecological Society. The idea of the formation of the Society was mooted as early as in 1929 but, for a variety of reasons – and constraints – could not manifest itself at that time. But on 29th December 1933, some of the leading Medical Practitioners in the field huddled together and on 10th February, 1934, the first informal meeting was held at Dr. (Mrs.) Dossibai J.R. Dadabhoy’s residence to deliberate upon the various issues pertaining to the formation of the Society.

Those who showed up at the momentous nativity of this Society could only trust that the ember of life they’d helped ignite would nurture and grow and, eventually, flare up into a fervent blaze, healthy and hearty enough to burn bright and effulgent and sustain down the decades. As it turned out, nothing could have been closer to the truth. And those fortunate few physicians and surgeons were Dr. Sir Tehmulji Nariman, Dr. N. A. Purandare, Dr. Herculano Desa, Dr. Sir Mangaldas Mehta, Lt. Col. Spackman, Dr. (Mrs.) D.J.R. Dadabhoy, Dr. (Miss) jerusha Jhirad, Dr. (Mrs.) Demonte, Dr. N.V. Ajinkya, Dr. (Mrs.) Desai, Dr. S. B. Trivedi, Dr. R. Amin, Dr. S. N. Bhansali and Dr. Chamanlal Mehta.
These were the founding figures that spearheaded the Society in its early enigmatic days. They set it up with the best of intents, drafted its original constitution and, above all, instilled into it an atmosphere of congeniality and trust!

Dr. N. A. Purandare, was installed as the founder president and Dr. Chamanlal Mehta became the founder secretary of the Bombay ob-gyn society.

The list could go on, well into the present, and cover dozens more names and accomplishments, but the stature of the Society owes much to the eminence of its early leaders.

The Society’s members were always on various committees of the State Government, the central Government, the Bombay University, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Bombay, the Bombay Municipal Corporation, the Medical Council of India, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) etc., in which they worked in a variety of capacities, all contributory to society at large.

First all India congress of obstetrics and gynecology was organised in Madras in 1936, and we are proud that Bombay society was one of the three societies organising the event. Bombay society was one of the founder societies of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India. (FOGSI). FOGSI came into formal existence in Madras on January 6, 1950 at the sixth All India Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, when the obstetric and gynaecological societies of Ahmedabad, Bengal, Bombay, Madras and Punjab resolved to form themselves into a federation, i.e., FOGSI.