Sailakshmi Balijepally (25 January 1974 – 16 December 2023) was an Indian paediatrician and the founder of Ekam Foundation, an
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
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
Secunderabad
Secunderabad () is a twin cities, twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the South ...
, India, where she attended
Keyes High School for Girls for twelve years. Her parents were both doctors and Balijepally aspired to become one too. Her elder sister, who also studied medicine and became a
cardiologist
Cardiology () is the study of the heart. Cardiology is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery di ...
, was her role model. She studied at
St Francis College for Women for two years before being accepted by
Gandhi Medical College
Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (GMC) is a public medical college in Secunderabad, India. It is affiliated with Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences. The college was originally affiliated to NTR University of Health Sciences ...
. She studied there for five years and left qualified as both a physician and a surgeon.
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.
[
Balijepally had been working as a junior consultant 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.][
Balijepally was awarded one of the first eight ]Nari Shakti Puraskar
The Nari Shakti Puraskar () is an annual award given by the Ministry of Women and Child Development of the Government of India to individual women or to institutions that work towards the cause of women empowerment. It is presented by the presi ...
awards for her leadership and achievements in 2015.International Women's Day
International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement. International Women's Day gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive righ ...
by then Indian President Pranab Mukherjee
Pranab Kumar Mukherjee ( ; born, 11 December 1935 – 31 August 2020) was an Indian statesman who served as the president of India from 2012 until 2017. He was the first person from West Bengal to hold the post of President of India. In a pol ...
.
In 2018, EKAM foundation formed a partnership with Royal Enfield
Royal Enfield is an Indian motorcycle manufacturer, headquartered and manufactured in Chennai, India. Royal Enfield (England), Royal Enfield is the oldest motorcycle manufacturer in continuous production.[Kancheepuram
Kanchipuram (IAST: '; ), also known as Kanjeevaram, is a stand alone city corporation, satellite nodal city of Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from Chennaithe capital of Tamil Nadu. Known as the ''Ci ...]
. In one instance, they donated medical equipment to the Chengalpattu Medical College.
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.
Balijepally died on 16 December 2023, at the age of 49.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balijepally, Sailakshmi
1975 births
2023 deaths
Indian paediatricians
People from Secunderabad
Nari Shakti Puraskar winners