Harbans Lall Gulati

Other names: 

Dr Harbans Lall Gulati

Locations

Charing Cross Hospital
Fulham Palace Road
London, W6 8RF
United Kingdom
51° 29' 14.4708" N, 0° 13' 18.2892" W
Royal Westminster Ophthalmic Hospital
City Road
London, EC1V 2PD
United Kingdom
51° 31' 45.318" N, 0° 5' 44.34" W
1
Date of birth: 
01 Jan 1896
Precise DOB unknown: 
Y
City of birth: 
Punjab
Country of birth: 
India
Date of death: 
13 Jun 1967
Location of death: 
England
Date of 1st arrival in Britain: 
01 Jan 1920
Precise 1st arrival date unknown: 
Y
2
About: 

Harbans Lall Gulati completed his medical training in Lahore, becoming an officer in the Indian Medical Service in 1916. On his arrival in England, he discovered that his medical qualifications were not recognized and so repeated his training at Charing Cross Hospital, doing unskilled work by night in order to pay his fees. He qualified in 1926 and began work as a GP in Battersea shortly afterwards. In his obituary in the British Medical Journal, he is described as a pioneer of the ‘meals-on-wheels’ service, as well as an active member of the St John and Red Cross organizations. He was also associated with the Royal Westminster Opthalmic Hospital.

In 1934 Gullati became a Conservative member of the local council, resigning from the party in 1947 because of their lack of support for the National Health Service. He went on to join the Socialist Medical Association as well as the Labour Party becoming a Labour member of the LCC for South Battersea and later standing (unsuccessfully) for parliamentary candidature. He was an active member of the committee of the Indian YMCA in London, as well as a magistrate and a Freemason.

He was married and had two sons and a daughter.

Connections: 

Conservative Party, Indian YMCA, Labour Party, London County Council, National Health Service, Red Cross, Socialist Medical Association.

3
Secondary works: 

Obituary, British Medical Journal (22 July 1967), p. 247

Visram, Rozina, Asians in Britain: 400 Years of History (London: Pluto, 2002)