Ida Mabel Murray Simmons

Ida Mabel Murray Simmons MBE (1881, 1882 or 1888 — 7 January 1958), was a public health nurse who greatly improved maternal and infant health care standards in Singapore. She was posthumously inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame in 2021.

Early life and education Simmons studied in Eastbourne, East Sussex. She joined the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) during World War I, serving at the 2nd London General Hospital, Chelsea from October 1916, later going to France. She returned in April 1919 and was awarded two red stripes in connection with this service.

After the war, she received a VAD scholarship to study at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, and received her certification in 1922. She then won a scholarship one-year International Red Cross public health course in London.

Career From 1924 to 1926, she worked as a sister tutor at the Royal Edinburgh Infirmary. She spent several months learning Malay before she began visiting every village in rural Singapore. The improvement of reporting of births and the examination of infants was made a priority.

Simmons was promoted to Public Health Matron for rural Singapore in 1934 Following the end of the Japanese occupation of Singapore, Simmons was tasked with the rebuilding of infant health services, which were neglected under the occupation. Simmons retired in 1948 but in 1950, she travelled to Brunei as part of a World Health Organization programme teaching modern obstetrical methods to rural midwives.

She was posthumously inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame in 2021.

Personal life and death During World War II, Simmons was interned at the Sime Road Camp. She passed time by sewing trousers for male internees at the camp, and had sewn 3,000 pairs of trousers by the end of her internment.

Simmons returned to England following her retirement in 1948, and later moved to Scotland. Simmons died on 7 January 1958.