Catherine Hamlin

Catherine Hamlin
Catherine Hamlin 2009
Born Elinor Catherine Nicholson
(1924-01-24) 24 January 1924
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Nationality Australian
Occupation Obstetrician

Elinor Catherine Hamlin (née Nicholson), AC, MBBS, FRCS, FRANZCOG, FRCOG (born 24 January 1924), is an Australian obstetrician and gynaecologist who, with her husband, New Zealander Dr. Reginald Hamlin, co-founded the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, the world's only medical centre dedicated exclusively to providing free obstetric fistula repair surgery to poor women suffering from childbirth injuries. They also co-founded an associated non-profit organisation, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia.

Hamlin has been recognised by the United Nations agency UNFPA as a pioneer in fistula surgery for her development of techniques and procedures for obstetric fistula treatment. The Hamlins, together with the hospital staff, have treated more than 55,000 women to date for obstetric fistula.[1]

Family and education

Elinor Catherine Nicholson was raised in the Sydney suburb of Ryde, at "The Hermitage", built by John Blaxland in 1842. One of six children of Elinor and Theodore Nicholson, she went to Frensham School in Mittagong,[2] before attending the University of Sydney and graduating from its Medical School in 1946.[3]

After internships at St Joseph’s Hospital, Auburn, and St George's Hospital, Kogarah, she became a resident in obstetrics at Crown Street Women's Hospital. In 1950, she married Dr Reginald Hamlin, medical superintendent at Crown Street.[2]

Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital

Three trainee midwives with Catherine Hamlin at the Hamlin Fistula Hospital

In 1958 the Hamlins answered an advertisement placed by the Ethiopian government in The Lancet medical journal for an obstetrician and gynaecologist to establish a midwifery school at the Princess Tsehay Hospital in Addis Ababa.[3]

They arrived in 1959 with their six-year-old son, Richard.[4] The Hamlins had never seen an obstetric fistula before — they were an "academic rarity"[5] having been virtually eradicated in the United States in 1895. (The first fistula hospital closed its doors in New York City in 1925.)[5] Seeing many cases arrive at the school, they decided to create a dedicated hospital. Fifteen years later, in 1974, they founded Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital[6] and over the years, the hospital has treated more than 45,000 patients.[1] Hamlin still lives in her cottage on the grounds of the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital. She remains very active in the day-to-day work of the hospital and patient care. Reg Hamlin was actively involved in the activities of the hospital and was a member of its Board of Trustees until his death in 1993.[6]

Recognition

Hamlin meets The Queen at Government House, Canberra in 2011

Hamlin has been awarded honorary fellowships in the medical associations of Australia, England and the United States. On 26 January 1983, she was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for her services to gynaecology in developing countries[7] and on 26 January 1995, Hamlin was awarded Australia's highest honour, being promoted to the grade of Companion of the Order of Australia.[8]

On 1 January 2001, she was awarded the Centenary Medal for "long and outstanding service to international development in Africa".[9] She is the author of the best-selling book, The Hospital by the River: A Story of Hope, first published in 2001. A second edition was published in 2016 with a foreword by Dame Quentin Bryce.[1] She has been described as a modern-day "Mother Teresa" in an editorial by Pulitzer Prize–winning writer Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times.[10]

Aged 80, Hamlin appeared on Oprah Winfrey's television show in January 2004. The episode was included in Winfrey's 20-year anthology collection. Winfrey travelled to the hospital and filmed another episode for her show, broadcast in December 2005. The 2007 documentary, "A Walk to Beautiful" featured five Ethiopian women who were treated and cured by Hamlin and her team at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital.[11][12]

In 2009 she was awarded the Right Livelihood Award, also called the "Alternate Nobel Prize".[13][14]

Hamlin was among 50 prominent Australians invited by the Governor-General of Australia, Dame Quentin Bryce, to take lunch with Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at Government House, Canberra on 23 October 2011.[15]

In November 2016 a Sydney Ferries Emerald-class ferry was named Catherine Hamlin.[16]

Awards

Both Hamlin and her hospital have received numerous awards.[6] Known for her dedication and humility, Hamlin says of the plaudits she has received that "I'm doing what I love doing and it's not a hardship for me to be working in Ethiopia with these women".[17]

Catherine Hamlin

Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hamlin, Catherine; Little, John (2016). The hospital by the river (2nd ed.). Sydney, Australia: Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd. ISBN 978-1-74353-781-7.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ciardullo, Patsy. "Elinor Catherine Hamlin profile". The Embryo Project at Arizona State University. ISSN 1940-5030. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Visontay, Michael (November 2014). "Doctor on a Mission". University of Sydney. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "Dr Catherine Hamlin AC". Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia. 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  5. 1 2 Hamlin, Catherine; John Little (2001). The hospital by the river: a story of hope. Sydney: Pan Macmillan. ISBN 0-7329-1082-X.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Our Founders". Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia. 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  7. ↑ Awards and Culture Branch, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (26 January 1983). "Its an Honour". itsanhonour.gov.au. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  8. ↑ Awards and Culture Branch, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (26 January 1995). "Its an Honour". itsanhonour.gov.au. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  9. ↑ Awards and Culture Branch, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (1 January 2001). "Its an Honour". itsanhonour.gov.au. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  10. 1 2 Kristof, Nikolas (5 February 2014). "At 90, This Doctor Is Still Calling". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  11. ↑ "A Walk to Beautiful (2007)". imdb.com. The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 20 June 2010.
  12. ↑ Little, John. Catherine's Gift: inside the extraordinary world of Dr Catherine Hamlin, 2008 Macmillan, Australia; ISBN 978-0-330-42598-8
  13. ↑ "Right Livelihood Award: List of Laureates". The Right Livelihood Award. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  14. ↑ Testoni, Evyn (14 October 2009). "Aussie aid worker wins award". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  15. ↑ Wright, Tony (22 October 2011). "Ma'am won't be needing the royal list of small talk". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  16. ↑ "Aussie Doctor lends name to newest ferry". Transport for NSW. 15 November 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  17. ↑ Attard, Monica (23 March 2008). "Dr Catherine Hamlin, Founder of the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital". Sunday Profile. ABC, Australia. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  18. ↑ "Australian Honours". Australia Celebrating Australians. Government of Australia. 26 January 1982. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  19. ↑ "Biography of Catherine HAMLIN". Africansuccess.org. 15 July 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  20. ↑ "International Honorary Members" (PDF). Zonta International. March 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  21. 1 2 "Catherine Hamlin (Ethiopia)". Right Livelihood Award Foundation. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  22. ↑ Transcript of interview with Peter Thompson, ABC TV, screened 14 July 2008.
  23. ↑ "Australian Honours". Australia Celebrating Australians. Government of Australia. 26 January 1982. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  24. ↑ "Hall of Fame". World Association for Sexual Health. 2013. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  25. ↑ "The 91-year-old Gynaecologist", bbc.in; accessed 21 December 2015.
  26. ↑ "United Nations Association of Australia to Honor Dr. Catherine Hamlin with 'UNAA Lifework Award 2017'". OnlineEthiopia.net. 2 August 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
  27. ↑ Ethiopia Semonegna (3 September 2017). "Bego Sew Award Held in Addis Ababa". Semonegna.com. Retrieved 8 June 2018.

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