Darab Jehangir Jussawala
Born 13 April 1915 · verify
Co-founded the Indian Cancer Society and established India's first cancer rehabilitation center in 1956.
🔔 Add birthday reminderDarab Jehangir Jussawala was an Indian medical-cum-surgical oncologist, medical writer and the director of Tata Memorial Centre. He was the co-founder of Indian Cancer Society, along with Naval Tata in 1951, and the founder of the Indian Cancer Rehabilitation Centre in Parel, Mumbai, in 1956, the first such centre in India and the largest in Asia. He served as the director of Lady Ratan Tata Medical and Research Center and as the honorary consultant at two Mumbai hospitals, Breach Candy Hospital and Jaslok Hospital. An elected fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, National Academy of Medical Sciences, Indian Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy and the American College of Surgeons, he was a recipient of the Dhanwantari Award as well as several Oration Awards.
✨ A detail that surprised us
The Indian Cancer Rehabilitation Centre founded by Jussawala in 1956 was the largest such center in Asia at the time, a fact not widely known outside oncology circles.
1. In 1948, Darab Jehangir Jussawala joined Tata Memorial Hospital as one of India’s earliest surgical oncologists, marking the start of a career that would shape cancer treatment in the nation.
2. 🌟 In 1951, he co-founded the Indian Cancer Society with Naval Tata, pioneering organized cancer awareness and patient support in India.
3. By 1956, he established the Indian Cancer Rehabilitation Centre in Parel, Mumbai, a facility that became the largest cancer rehabilitation center in Asia.
4. In 1963, Jussawala contributed critical research data to India’s first Population-based Cancer Registry and founded the Indian Journal of Cancer, advancing cancer research documentation.
5. He introduced India’s first cytology laboratory and chemotherapy facility at Tata Memorial Centre, innovations that transformed cancer diagnostics and treatment approaches.
6. From 1973 to 1980, he directed Tata Memorial Centre, overseeing expansion of surgical oncology and rehabilitation services during a pivotal era for cancer care.
7. 🌟 In 1975, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan, recognizing his tangible institutional developments in oncology.
8. ❓ How did Jussawala’s early embrace of rehabilitation and research reshape the cultural approach to cancer in India beyond just medical treatment?
Awards & Honours
- 🏅Padma Bhushan · 1974
🔍 One thing most people don't know
In 1951, Jussawala partnered with industrialist Naval Tata to start the Indian Cancer Society, a non-profit that was among the first organized cancer-focused groups in India.
🖼️ Through the Years
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📅 The Journey
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🎥 Speeches & Recordings
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📖 Curated Sources
🌱 What changed because of them
Darab Jehangir Jussawala’s creation of the Indian Cancer Society and establishment of rehabilitation and research centers laid the groundwork for structured cancer care in India. The institutions he founded, including the Indian Cancer Rehabilitation Centre and the Indian Journal of Cancer, continue to influence cancer treatment protocols and patient support services. His leadership at Tata Memorial Centre institutionalized chemotherapy and cytology in Indian oncology, setting standards still followed today.
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