VIRUDHUNAGAR: When 50-year-old K Suganthi, an auxillary nurse and midwife (ANM), started her career in 1996, little did she know she would be conferred with the 2023 Florence Nightingale Award by the President of India. She became synonymous with selflessness with her efforts to save the lives of anaemic pregnant mothers in need of medical care. In her 26 years of service at Perumalthevanpatti health sub centre, no maternal or infant death have been recorded.
Born in Thoothukudi district, Suganthi’s family moved to Virudhunagar when she was in Class 6. After pursuing diploma in nursing, Suganthi became an ANM at a village in Karur. She was transferred to Reddiapatti in 1997 and her journey as a ANM in Perumalthevanpatti health sub centre has continued since then. “A decade ago, there was no fund for getting the iron sucrose injection to treat anaemia. I used to buy them for pregnant women,” Suganthi told TNIE.
If a pregnant women is found to be at high risk condition, Suganthi stays with her from the time of hospital admission till the person recovers. She recalled an incident during the Covid-19 lockdown, when a pregnant woman got a seizure following childbirth at Srivilliputhur Government Hospital and had to be admitted to Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai. “I arranged a vehicle and travelled to the hospital. I was at the hospital till she recovered,” Suganthi said.
Apart from taking care of antenatal mothers, Suganthi helped around 25 Narikurava families, during the pandemic, by providing them with rice. “A pregnant woman, who was admitted for delivery, was crying at the hospital as her children and other families from the community did not get rice. I managed to get 25 kg of rice for each family then,” Suganthi added.
Block Medical Officer Dr Karunagaraprabhu said no child in the village has been left out of immunisation owing to Suganthi’s consistent monitoring. “Whenever there are early marriages about to happen in the village, Suganthi informs the social welfare department for preventing them,” he said. Attributing the success to her colleagues, Suganthi thanked them for insisting her to apply for the award.