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Dr. Geoffrey D. Lehmann (12 January 1904 – 15 April 1994) was a religious and medical missionary who set up the Herbertpur Christian Hospital along with his wife Monica Lehmann, in the Herbertpur village, located in the Doon Valley in India in 1936.

The aim of his mission was to spread the Christian faith among a largely Hindu and Muslim population in Herbertpur and surrounding areas as well as to provide medical care and treatment at extremely cheap or no cost to the villagers.

Lehmann was born in 1904 in London and attended prep school as a child. He later trained as an engineer from Oxford University, after which he pursued medicine from the same university. Lehmann specialized in ophthalmology and tropical medicine, but carried out a wide range of surgical and consultation treatments in the Herbertpur Hospital.

He also served as the Chairman of Board of Governors at Wynberg Allen School.

= Education = Lehmann attended the Plymouth Brethren Primary School, a prep school which was operated by strict adherent of the Plymouth Brethren. Lehmann was sufficiently exposed to Christian teachings as part of his primary education.

He trained as an engineer in the Oxford University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil and mechanical engineering.

He then trained in medicine from Liverpool University Medical School and travelled to the US to intern at the Manhattan Eye and Ear Hospital to study with Dr. Chester Mayo.

Lehmann practiced corneal grafting at Boston Hospital before returning to Liverpool to study tropical medicine.

= Missionary Work = On their arrival in India, Dr. Lehmann and his wife first worked in a hospital in Kachhwa. Lehmann worked in Kacchwa for 18 months where his daily routine included operations in the mornings and afternoon with routine check-ups in between and language study in the evening. In Kachhwa, the Lehmanns distributed Christian literature for a small fee.

The Lehmanns established the Herbertpur Hospital in November 1936 , in Herbertpur village, 25 miles away from Dehradun. The hospital became popular amongst locals in a short period of time and was visited by over 2000 people daily shortly after its opening. The hospital was mainly visited by low-income people from backward classes but catered to people from all socio-economic classes including Brahmins, farmers and merchants.

By 1937, the Lehmanns built a larger building for the hospital and treated nearly 3000 patients a day along with their staff.

During the second world war, the hospital was closed for nearly a year due to limitation of staff and because Dr. Lehmann was himself asked to serve in the warfront.

The hospital reopened in 1954, with two operating theaters, special eye wards, male and female general wards, midwifery and tuberculosis block and private rooms. Dr. Lehmann carried out treatments as complex as cataract removal surgery, appendectomy, and blood infection treatments at the Herbertpur Hospital.

In addition to medical services, the hospital also exposed to patients to Christianity during their stay in the hospital. Gospel service was carried out daily in the hospital yard by the hospital’s evangelist, Mr. Mall. Lehmann also often included himself in the service for he felt that his involvement would mean a lot to the patients and would help in strengthening their beliefs.

Dr. Lehmann along with his wife also established a number of schools in the region. These also served as establishments for congregation. Dr. Lehmann also worked with the  Evangelical Alliance Mission and served as the chairman on board of governors for the Wynberg Allen School. This school provided education to children form displaced Tibetan families living in the Himalayan valley.

= Legacy = The Herbertpur Hospital became a member of the Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA) in 1973 and continues to serve patients across the Doon valley to this day.

The Lehmanns established the the Herbertpur Trust to encourage national evangelism programs.

Dr. Geoffrey Lehmann’s life and work were the subject of the Himalayan Heartbeat, a book by Ken Anderson. The book was published in 1965.

= References =