By John B Monteiro
Mangaluru, Jul 19: Dr Vivien Britto, a low profile medical professional in Mangaluru, passed away on Wednesday July 19. Dr Vivien was born in Tanzania where her father, Dr Benedict Christian, was in Government Medical Service. Her parents were originally Protestant Christians from Ahmedabad. Born in 1932, Dr Vivien did her education up to ninth standard in St Joseph’s Convent in Dar-e-Salam. Then the family returned to Ahmedabad and she finished SSLC at Mount Carmel Convent. She did her PUC in Arts. Then her father decided that she should be a doctor which meant taking the Science stream to end up with BSc. That is when the family said that it was the age for Gujarati Christian girls to marry. She was the reluctant bride who preferred to stay at home as a spinster for three years. During this period, her ambition was modest—to follow Florence Nightingale.
The family got the message and her father arranged for admission for her at KMC Manipal where her elder brother was in the first batch of MBBS students in the newly started Medical College. (Incidentally, he designed the emblem of KMC). The year was 1957, the fifth batch of KMC, when the donation was just Rs. 3, 000. That started her tryst with Mangaluru and the Brittos, a noted Catholic “high family” of the city. For, along with her elder brother to receive her at the Hampankatta bus stand, where she arrived via Kadur Railway Station, was young and dashing Vincent Britto, who was later to marry her. Her medical studies involved 18 months in Manipal, two years in Mangaluru and one year of internship. Later, in 1971, she did an additional one-year diploma in gynaecology and obstetrics.
Armed with medical qualifications, Dr Vivien joined Miraj Medical Centre, well known for heart and lung surgeries, often by visiting American specialists. This was in response to her parents’ exhortation that their educated children should give back to society in the form of service. So, the starting salary in the Mission hospital was Rs 150 per month of which she managed to save Rs 50 for her mom. After 18 months there, she was sent to St Margaret’s Mission Hospital, Pune, which took her closer to Ahmedabad where her parents were.
Now re-emerges on her radar Vincent Gregory Britto who had come to the bus stand when she first arrived in Mangaluru. He had then offered his hand for a shake; but had to withdraw it when the coy Gujarati damsel offered a firm namaste. But, that must not have put off the hero in Vincent (popularly known as Vincy). For, finally they went to the altar to say “I do” at Sacred Heart Church in Bombay on November 3, 1966. His job involved extensive out-station travel which put extra pressure on Dr Vivien of holding a job and bringing up young children.
Post marriage, she joined Government Medical Service working in hospitals in Udupi and Mangaluru. Despite the duel role pressure, she found time to do social work of taking patients for free medical treatment at Wenlock Hospital. She would also visit and attend to old patients at home. While working in the Mission hospitals at Miraj and Pune, it has been dinned into her that God takes care of all our needs. So, when grateful patients offered to pay something, she would respond: “Pray for me”. Faced with this repeated response, one priest countered: “What should I pray for?” She explained that she had two girls and the prayer should be for a boy”. The priest responded: “That is Vincy’s job. If he can’t do it, put more men on the job”. Apparently, more men were not put on the job and she ended up with a third daughter.
Meanwhile, in 1981, Dr Vivien joined the services of Brunie Government – a country known for its massive oil revenues. Though her brother was already working there, Dr Vivien’s mind and soul was with her daughters left behind in Mangaluru. She took her annual leave to be with them and extended it, without pay, as long as she could. She gave up this job in December 1994. Since then she has worked for Highland Hospital for five years and has been RMO at Yenopoya Hospital till February 2004. She was nearly grounded since with an attack of cerebral enuerism. Despite this Dr Vivien continues with her social work.
How did Mangaluru accept a Gujarati bahu? Dr Vivien said that it took a long time for Catholic Mangalureans to fraternise with a Gujarati Protestant. But, eventually, drawn to her medical social work which came to them free, with only a request for prayer tag attached, she was able to integrate with Mangalurean Catholic society. Fluent in Konkani, she would not end a sentence without saying “Ba” (dear) in it. She did not consider any work below her formal position.
The young lady who, instead of shaking hands with the friend of her elder brother, Vincy, later her husband, offered Namaste, for several years now allowed me to kiss her (in the presence of my wife) as we exited from the 4.30 Mass at Milagres Church, Hampankatta, on Saturdays before and after Vincy died in her arms while being driven to Unity Hospital after he had an heart attack while having a meal following the Annual Mass for his cousin, Beryl, on October 14, 2014.
Finally, Dr Vivienne is the third Gujarat-origin doctor to work and die in Mangaluru, the others being Dr V V Modi, who retired from Father Muller Hospital as chief medical officer after a life-long service in the hospital and his wife, Dr Jasumati Mody, who, after working for KMC hospital for 10 years, joined Father Muller in 1965 to start its paediatric department and served the hospital till 1983 – pre-deceasing her husband.