Sarah Winstedt facts for kids

Sarah Mary Josephine Winstedt (born Sarah O'Flynn; 4 April 1886 – 9 September 1972) was an Irish doctor and surgeon. She also fought for women's right to vote.

Sarah spent many years, from 1913 to 1935, working in British Malaya (now part of Malaysia and Singapore). She helped improve healthcare there. Because of her important work, she was later honored in the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame. She also served as a doctor during both World War I and World War II. In 1935, she received the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.

Early Life and Fighting for Rights

Sarah O'Flynn was born in 1886 in Sixmilebridge, County Clare, Ireland. Her father, James O'Flynn, was a wool miller. Sarah went to schools in Ireland and France. In 1912, she earned her medical degree from the University of Edinburgh.

After her studies, she worked as an assistant doctor at the Royal Free Hospital in London. During this time, she was also very active in the movement for women's suffrage. This was a campaign to give women the right to vote. Sarah even went on a hunger strike for a week in prison. This happened after she tried to enter parliament with other protesters. She received a special medal for her bravery in this fight.

Working as a Doctor in Malaya

In 1913, Sarah learned about tropical diseases. Then, she joined the Colonial Medical Service and moved to British Malaya. There, she managed the women's and children's ward at Kuala Lumpur Hospital. She also helped build a new hospital for women and children in the Kuala Pilah District.

While the new hospital was being built, Sarah traveled a lot. She rode elephants and bicycles to visit people in the countryside. These home visits helped people in rural areas trust Western medicine more.

In 1916, Sarah returned to Britain to join the Royal Army Medical Corps. She worked as a doctor in places like Malta and Thessaloniki during World War I. After the war ended in 1919, she went on a humanitarian trip to Russia.

She then came back to Malaya. In 1921, she married Richard Olaf Winstedt, who was a colonial administrator. Sarah joined the surgical team at Singapore General Hospital. In 1932, she became the head of the hospital's new children's ward. She left her job in 1933 because her husband was appointed to a new role. However, she continued to volunteer at the Johor Bahru General Hospital.

Returning to Britain

Sarah and Richard Winstedt moved back to Britain in 1935. That same year, they both received the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal. From 1937 to 1938, Sarah worked at the Marie Curie Hospital. This hospital helped women with cancer in Hampstead.

When World War II started, she helped with the war effort again. She traveled with children who were being moved to Canada for safety. She also checked new recruits for the Auxiliary Territorial Service. Later, she worked as a medical officer at the Royal Arsenal.

After the war, she held positions at a hospital in Dartford and for the Middlesex County Council. She retired in 1952. Sarah also helped write a textbook called Tropical Hygiene for Schools, which was published between 1950 and 1953.

Sarah Winstedt passed away in 1972 in Havant, Hampshire. In 2014, she was added to the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame. She was recognized as "one of the colony's leading surgeons."

See also

In Spanish: Sarah Winstedt para niños