Acacio Gabriel Viegas

Born: April 1, 1856

Died: 1933

• He was a medical practitioner who was credited with the discovery of the outbreak of bubonic plague in Bombay, India in 1896.
• His timely discovery helped saved many lives in the city and was credited with the inoculation of 18,000 residents.
• He was also the president of the Bombay Municipal Corporation.
• He was an active member of the Standing Committee and the Improvement Trust.
• He then focused his attention to improving the living conditions of the city’s poor and down-trodden.
• He also tried to minimise the increases of public utility costs. As president, Viegas promoted medical relief and introduced compulsory free education.
• He correctly diagnosed the disease as Bubonic Plague and tended to patients with great personal risk.
• He then launched a vociferous campaign to clean up slums and exterminate rats, the carriers of the plague.

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