Dr Mary John, a gynaecologist from Kerala, served in Dubai for 29 years and helped develop the city’s healthcare and medical training.
Dubai’s healthcare community is mourning the death of Dr Mary John, a veteran gynaecologist from Kerala, India, who spent nearly three decades serving patients and training doctors in the emirate.
Dr John, affectionately known as “Girly” to friends and family, died in Springfield, Illinois, in the US on August 21, 2026, aged 81, according to her family.
During her 29-year career in Dubai, she was credited with helping deliver nearly 3,000 babies and played a significant role in developing obstetrics, gynaecology, fertility care and medical education in the emirate.
A career built around patient care
Dr John joined Dubai Hospital in 1987 before moving to what was then Al Wasl Hospital, now Latifa Hospital, in 1992.
She became head of the gynaecology department in 1996, a position she held until 2006.
In 2013, she took charge of the Dubai Gynaecology and Fertility Centre (DGFC), where she remained until her retirement in 2016.
Under her leadership, the centre, which pioneered infertility treatment in Dubai, helped bring close to 3,000 babies into the world.
Dr John also helped introduce laparoscopy and minimally invasive surgery to Dubai’s obstetric practice at a time when these techniques were still developing in the region.
She was involved in establishing and strengthening several medical subspecialties, including feto-maternal medicine, colposcopy, uro-gynaecology and gynaecological oncology.
A mentor to generations of doctors
Her influence extended beyond clinical care.
As an academic leader at Dubai Medical College, Dr John trained generations of doctors who later took leadership positions across Dubai’s healthcare system.
Colleagues remember her as a demanding but compassionate mentor who placed patient care at the centre of her work.
At the time of her retirement, the Dubai Health Authority praised her decades of service and her efforts to develop gynaecology services in line with international standards.
“Like a mother to us”
Dr Muna Tahlak, now Chief Medical Officer at Dubai Health and Vice Provost for Clinical Affairs at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, was among Dr John’s early protégées.
“She had a very special place in my heart,” Dr Tahlak told Gulf News.
Tahlak said Dr John helped guide her from clinical medicine into leadership and administration, eventually becoming her successor.
Even after leaving Dubai, Dr John continued to stay connected with former colleagues and would call during Eid to ask about the department and share her greetings.
“She mentored many of us through her care, kindness and vision. She was like a mother to us, always calm and understanding,” Tahlak said.
A doctor who became part of families
Dr Mohammed Salim Al Olama, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Health and Prevention, remembered Dr John not only as a doctor but as a family friend.
She helped deliver four of his children.
“She was one of those very special doctors you don’t often find: compassionate, warm and so approachable that you felt she was a friend rather than just your doctor,” he said.
For many patients and their families, that personal connection became part of Dr John’s legacy.
A pillar of Latifa Hospital
Dr Faiza Badawi Mahgoub, who worked at Latifa Hospital until 2024, described Dr John as one of the pillars of its obstetrics and gynaecology department.
Mahgoub worked with Dr John from 1989 and said her former colleague was deeply committed to patient care, medical education and teamwork.
“Her passion was patient care, and she spent hours in the clinic looking after her patients,” Mahgoub said.
She also recalled Dr John’s involvement in developing clinical guidelines, governance and hospital recognition, as well as her commitment to training young doctors.
Friends remember her warmth.
Dr Shabana Muzaffar, a gynaecologist in Dubai Healthcare City, first met Dr John in 1991 while working at Latifa Hospital.
Their professional relationship eventually became a decades-long friendship.
Muzaffar remembered Dr John as a mentor who remained closely connected with her and her family even after retiring from Dubai.
Dr Anu C Mathews, who trained under Dr John as an obstetrics and gynaecology resident between 1996 and 2000, said her guidance shaped not only her medical skills but also her approach to patient care.
“Working under her guidance sharpened my skills, and empathy became a part of my medical career,” Mathews said.
Remembered by family and community
Born in Kerala on June 17, 1945, Dr John later moved to the US after retiring from Dubai to be closer to her family.
She is survived by her sons, Ashish and Anish, their wives, Teena and Kiran, and four grandchildren, Ashwin, Simran, Yohan and Inara.
Her family said she also served as an OBGYN in New York, continuing her work in women’s healthcare.
They remembered her for her warmth, kindness and compassion, qualities that extended far beyond her professional life.
Dubai Mar Thoma Parish also paid tribute to Dr John, offering condolences to her family.
Her funeral service is scheduled for September 6 at Mar Thoma Church in Springfield, Illinois.
For Dubai’s medical community, Dr Mary John’s legacy is measured not only in the nearly 3,000 babies she helped deliver, but also in the doctors she trained, the medical services she helped build, and the generations of families who remember her with gratitude.
Dr Mary John, Supplied
Source: Gulf News
