Dr. Darab Jehangir Jussawala
(Padma Bhushan, 1975 – Medicine)

In the post-Independence years, when cancer was still spoken of in hushed tones and specialised care was scarce, one surgeon set out to change the landscape of oncology in India. Dr. Darab Jehangir Jussawala, born on 13 April 1915 in Bombay into a Parsi family, became one of the country’s first surgical oncologists and a driving force behind organised cancer care, research and rehabilitation.

After graduating in medicine from Bombay University in 1938 and completing his master’s degree in 1942, he earned the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. In 1948 he joined Tata Memorial Hospital as a surgeon. Over the next decades he rose through its ranks, serving as Director of the Tata Memorial Centre from 1973 to 1980 and later as Professor of Oncology. He remained closely associated with the institution until 1986.

His vision extended far beyond the operating theatre. In 1951, together with Naval Tata, he co-founded the Indian Cancer Society. Five years later he established the Indian Cancer Rehabilitation Centre in Parel, Mumbai—the first of its kind in India and eventually the largest in Asia. At Tata Memorial he set up the country’s first cytology laboratory and its first chemotherapy services. In 1963 he helped create India’s first population-based cancer registry, laying the foundation for epidemiological understanding of the disease. He also served as Editor-in-Chief of the Indian Journal of Cancer and later directed the Lady Ratan Tata Medical and Research Centre while consulting at Breach Candy and Jaslok Hospitals.

Colleagues remembered a meticulous surgeon and a compassionate advocate. One young doctor, overwhelmed by the emotional weight of treating advanced cases, once asked how he continued with such steady resolve.
Jussawala replied thoughtfully, “Cancer takes enough from a patient. Our duty is to give back dignity, accurate knowledge and the best care possible—never false hope, but never despair either.”

The Government of India recognised his pioneering contributions with the Padma Bhushan in 1975. He received numerous other honours, including the Dhanwantari Award and several distinguished orations. Married to Gertrude, he continued to work and write until late in life.

Dr. Darab Jehangir Jussawala passed away on 29 January 1999. He left behind not only a body of clinical work but institutions, systems and a generation of oncologists who carried forward his belief that cancer care must be scientific, accessible and humane.