Dubai mourns Dr Mary John, who helped deliver nearly 3,000 babies

Dubai’s healthcare community is mourning the death of Dr Mary John, a veteran gynaecologist from Kerala whose career in the emirate spanned almost three decades and helped shape modern obstetrics and women’s healthcare in the city.

Dr John, affectionately known as “Girly” to friends and family, died in Springfield, Illinois, on August 21 at the age of 81. Over the course of her career in Dubai, she became one of the most respected figures in obstetrics and gynaecology, helping deliver nearly 3,000 babies and mentoring generations of doctors.

Nearly three decades in Dubai healthcare

Dr John joined Dubai Hospital in 1987 before moving to what was then Al Wasl Hospital, now Latifa Hospital, in 1992.

She later became head of the gynaecology department, a role she held from 1996 until 2006.

In 2013, she took charge of the Dubai Gynaecology and Fertility Centre, remaining there until her retirement in 2016 after 29 years of service in Dubai.

Under her leadership, the fertility centre became an important part of Dubai’s reproductive healthcare system and was involved in the birth of close to 3,000 babies.

Helping modernise women’s healthcare in Dubai

Dr John’s contribution extended far beyond clinical work.

She helped introduce laparoscopy and minimally invasive surgery into obstetric practice in Dubai at a time when these techniques were still developing locally.

She also supported the expansion of specialist fields including feto-maternal medicine, colposcopy, uro-gynaecology and gynaecological oncology.

Her work helped establish new standards for women’s healthcare and contributed to the development of services that later became an important part of Dubai’s medical system.

A mentor to generations of doctors

Alongside her clinical career, Dr John played a major role in medical education.

As academic head of Dubai Medical College, she trained and mentored young doctors who later went on to hold senior positions across Dubai’s healthcare sector.

For many of those who worked with her, this may be one of her most important legacies.

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 the doctors mentored by Dr John early in her career.

She remembered her not only as a senior colleague, but as someone who provided personal guidance and encouraged younger doctors to take on leadership responsibilities.

Patients remembered her as more than a doctor

The tributes following her death also reveal how closely Dr John connected with her patients.

Dr Mohammed Salim Al Olama, Undersecretary at the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, said Dr John helped deliver four of his children and eventually became a close family friend.

Former colleagues similarly described her as warm, approachable and deeply committed to patient care.

Dr Faiza Badawi Mahgoub, who worked alongside her at Latifa Hospital, recalled Dr John as one of the key figures behind the hospital’s obstetrics and gynaecology department.

She was known for spending long hours with patients and remaining available to colleagues whenever she was needed.

Relationships that lasted long after retirement

Dr John retired from Dubai healthcare in 2016 and later moved to the United States to be closer to her family.

But her relationship with Dubai never completely ended.

Former colleagues recalled that she continued to stay in touch, asking about the departments and doctors she had once worked with and maintaining friendships built over decades.

Some remembered receiving birthday calls from her every year, even after she had moved thousands of kilometres away.

That personal connection is one reason her death has resonated so strongly across Dubai’s medical community.

A life connected to two countries

Born in Kerala in 1945, Dr John later served communities both in the UAE and the United States.

Her family said she also worked as an obstetrician and gynaecologist in New York, continuing to care for patients after leaving Dubai.

She is survived by her two sons, Ashish and Anish, their wives and four grandchildren.

In her memory, the family has established a fundraiser with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.

A lasting legacy in Dubai

Dubai’s healthcare sector has changed dramatically since Dr John first arrived in 1987.

Hospitals have expanded, new technologies have been introduced and the city has become an international destination for specialist medicine.

Dr Mary John was part of the generation that helped build that transformation.

Her legacy can be measured in the thousands of babies she helped bring into the world, the doctors she trained and the medical services she helped develop.

But for many of the people paying tribute to her now, the numbers tell only part of the story.

They remember a doctor who combined medical leadership with empathy, mentorship and personal warmth — and whose influence on Dubai healthcare continued long after her retirement.