Sailakshmi Balijepally

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Sailakshmi Balijepally
Gandhi Medical College, Niloufer hospital,Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, India.
OccupationSocial worker
Known forFounding EKAM Foundation and receiving the Nari Shakti Puraskar award- 2014 by the President of India on 8th March, 2015.

Sailakshmi Balijepally (25 January 1974 – 16 December 2023) was an Indian paediatrician and the founder of Ekam Foundation, an NGO working in the areas of child and maternal health and well-being. She was awarded the Nari Shakti Award for the year 2014 by the president of India.

Life and career

Balijepally was raised in

Gandhi Medical College. She studied there for five years and left qualified as both a physician and a surgeon.[1]

On 20 January 2001, an earthquake hit Gujarat, killing 20,000 and injuring many more. Balijepally stepped forward to volunteer medical aid, despite it clashing with her exams. Seven years later, she volunteered again when the Bihar flood made millions homeless after a river changed course and flooded many inhabited areas.[1]

Balijepally had been working as a junior consultant[where?] when she was tasked with working out how to support 60 orphanages. She teamed each one up with a paediatrician colleague, each of whom were keen to help, but in time the system did not work well. The establishment of the EKAM foundation in 2009 was her attempt to refocus on the problem of supplying care.[1]

Balijepally was awarded one of the first eight Nari Shakti Puraskar awards for her leadership and achievements in 2015.[2] The award was made on International Women's Day by then Indian President Pranab Mukherjee.[3]

In 2018, EKAM foundation formed a partnership with

Kancheepuram. In one instance, they donated medical equipment to the Chengalpattu Medical College.[4]

https://www.ekamoneness.org/resources/EKAM/Reports/Annual%20Reports/2017-18.pdf

Balijepally visited the U.S. several times and also initiated the formation of EKAM USA.[citation needed]

Balijepally died on 16 December 2023, at the age of 49.[5]

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4828-2213-7
    .
  2. ^ "Stree Shakti Puraskar and Nari Shakti Puraskar presented to 6 and 8 Indian women respectively". India Today. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Nari Shakti Puraskar awardees full list". Best Current Affairs. 9 March 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  4. ^ "Royal Enfield Partners with NGO EKAM Foundation". Hrdots. 15 May 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  5. ISSN 0971-751X
    . Retrieved 16 December 2023.
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