Media Release
Udupi, Apr 14: Dr Jacintha D’Souza, a senior medical professional originally from Shirva in Udupi district, has recently assumed charge as joint director of the department of health and family welfare at Arogya Soudha in Bengaluru.
In recognition of her distinguished 35 years of service, the bishop of Mangalore diocese, Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, felicitated her at the Bishop’s House.
Educational Background
Dr Jacintha D’Souza has an impressive academic record. She began her primary education at Don Bosco Higher Primary School in Shirva, Udupi district. She completed her high school and pre-university education at St Mary’s Pre-University College, Shirva.
She pursued her MBBS at Mysore Medical College after enrolling in 1984. Later, between 1992 and 1994, she completed a postgraduate diploma in Anaesthesiology (DA) from Mysore Medical College. She went on to earn her MD in Anaesthesiology from KMC, Mangaluru, in 2003, and obtained her DNB in anaesthesiology from the National Board of Examinations, New Delhi, in 2004. She also holds a six-month diploma in Computer Applications from Karnataka Government Polytechnic (KPT), Mangaluru.
Professional Career
Dr Jacintha D’Souza began her career in 1991 after being selected through the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), serving in a Primary Health Centre in Uppinangady.
She later served as an anaesthesiologist for eight years at Puttur Government Hospital, where she played a key role in establishing the anaesthesia department. She also rendered 12 years of service at Lady Goschen Hospital and 10 years at Wenlock Hospital in various capacities.
Key Responsibilities
During her career, she served as district surgeon (superintendent) at Wenlock Hospital, District Vector Borne Disease Control officer, and resident medical officer (RMO) at Lady Goschen Hospital.
Notably, she played a crucial role as a nodal officer during the 2010 Mangaluru air crash, providing support to victims’ families and coordinating DNA identification processes. Her contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic were also significant.
Dr Jacinta D’Souza is the daughter of the late Montu Gregory D’Souza and Mary D’Souza of Shirva. Her husband, Dr Walter D’Souza, is a professor in the commerce department at a government college in Mangaluru, and their son is an ophthalmologist.
Apart from her medical career, she has a keen interest in literature, and her writing has been featured in the book 'When the Hand Holding a Syringe Holds a Pen'.