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) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...

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, also spelled as Sikandarabad (, ), is a twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the South Central Railway ...

, 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 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 disease, heart failure, valvular he ...

, 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 (founded 14 September 1954) is a medical college in Hyderabad, India affiliated with Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences. The college was originally affiliated to NTR University of Health Sciences. Histo ...

. 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 Ekam is the Sanskrit for "one, single, solitary" (neuter gender), as a noun meaning "unity". ⠀⠀Ayyavazhi⠀⠀ and ⠀⠀Hinduism⠀⠀refers to a monism conceptAyyavazhi and Hinduism, it refers to a concept of monism akin to that of Brahman ...

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 the highest civilian hon ...

awards for her leadership and achievements in 2015. The award was made on

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday list of minor secular observances#March, celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights, women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, ...

by then Indian President

Pranab Mukherjee Dr. Pranab Mukherjee (11 December 193531 August 2020) was an Indian politician and statesman who served as the 13th president of India from 2012 until 2017. In a political career spanning five decades, Mukherjee was a senior leader in the Indi ...

. In 2018, EKAM foundation formed a partnership with

Royal Enfield Royal Enfield was a brand name under which The Enfield Cycle Company Limited of Redditch, Worcestershire sold motorcycles, bicycles, lawnmowers and stationary engines which they had manufactured. Enfield Cycle Company also used the brand name ...

, with the aim of improving the health and well-being of mothers and children in

Kancheepuram Kanchipuram ('; ) also known as ''Conjeevaram,'' is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from Chennaithe capital of Tamil Nadu. Known as the ''City of Thousand Temples'', Kanchipuram is known for its templ ...

. 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