Salma Ismail facts for kids
Salma binti Ismail (born 19 December 1918 – died 20 July 2014) was a famous Malaysian doctor. She made history as the first Malay woman from Malaysia to become a qualified doctor. Later, in 1967, she was one of the first Malay general practitioners (GPs) to open her own private clinic.
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Her Life Story
Salma Ismail was born in Alor Setar, Kedah, on 19 December 1918. She went to several schools, including Kampung Baru Girls' School and Sultanah Asma Secondary School. At Sultanah Asma, one of the school houses is now named after her!
She was a very bright student. In 1933, she passed her Junior Cambridge exams, and in 1935, she passed her Senior Cambridge exams with a special achievement called a distinction. She was the first girl from Kedah to do this!
In 1936, Salma started studying medicine at the King Edward VII College of Medicine in Singapore. However, during World War II, classes stopped. So, Salma went back to Malaysia in 1941 and worked as a trainee doctor at Alor Setar General Hospital.
She went back to college in 1946 and finished her medical degree in 1947. After 11 years of hard work and training, she became the first qualified Malay female doctor in Malaysia.
Her Career as a Doctor
After graduating, Salma worked as a medical officer at Alor Setar General Hospital. She was the only woman in that role until 1960.
In 1956, she traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to learn more about obstetrics, which is the medical care of women during pregnancy and childbirth. While she was there, she met her future husband, Abu Bakar Ibrahim, who was also a doctor from Alor Setar.
When Salma returned from Dublin, she was given a special job: Royal Midwife to Sultanah Bahiyah. In 1960, she moved to Kuala Lumpur and became the medical officer in charge of Tanglin Hospital.
In 1967, Salma decided to open her own private clinic called Klinik Salma. It was one of the first private clinics opened by a Malay general practitioner. Klinik Salma grew and eventually had three branches around Kuala Lumpur. Salma retired from her work in 2005.
Awards and Recognition
Salma Ismail received several important awards for her contributions. In 1957, she received the Bintang Cemerlang Kedah, and in 1996, the Dato Paduka Mahkota Kedah.
In 1997, she was given the Panglima Setia Mahkota award. This award allowed her to use the special title Tan Sri. Salma passed away in Kuala Lumpur on 20 July 2014, at the age of 95.
Awards
Malaysian Awards
Malaysia : Commander of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia (P.S.M.) (1997)
See also
In Spanish: Salma Ismail para niños
