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It was in November 1894 that construction work on the hospital commenced. Its foundation stone was laid by Lady Elgin, the wife of Viceroy Lord Elgin. It was named in memory of Lady Dufferin, who was known for holding darbars at the Government House, because of which she got acquainted with local women and became their benefactor.

Not much is known about the designer of the Lady Dufferin Hospital, but the edifice hints, according to an expert, at the fact that it's built in the late(r) Renaissance style. It has a grouping of pedimented square headed openings, and its central portion has a triangular gable.

The Lady Dufferin Hospital is not just a multipart edifice. Nor is it just an institution. It depicts a culture of care, maternal care at that, which is an integral part of each one of us. Even of the woman beggar who has become a rather permanent feature of the historical site.

In 1915, Dr Elizabeth Stephens Imprey was chosen as head of the Lady Dufferin Hospital. She embarked on a P&O passenger liner SS Persia (built in 1900 by Caird&Company) from London to reach Karachi. On Dec 30, 1915 the liner was torpedoed and destroyed off Crete without prior warning by German WWI U-Boat commander Max Valentiner. Out of the 519 people on board (not to mention jewels and gold belonging to a Maharaja), 343 lost their lives, including Dr Elizabeth Stephens Imprey. She never landed in Karachi.

[Source: Karachi Legacies of Empires by Peerzada Salman]

Open in Google Map: 24.8586190326299,67.0083409583361

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