Tejavath Susheela, first in Telangana to receive National Florence Nightingale Award

Tejavath Susheela, an Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife (ANM) from Telangana, was awarded the prestigious National Florence Nightingale Award 2022.

Hyderabad: Tejavath Susheela, an Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife (ANM) from Telangana, was awarded the prestigious National Florence Nightingale Award 2022. She is the only recipient of this award from Telangana. President Draupadi Murmu conferred these awards upon 30 individuals from across the country during a ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday.

A native of Khammam’s Raghunadhapalem, Susheela works as an ANM with Yerragunta Primary Healthcare Centre located in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district. She was awarded for her dedicated service of 25 years to Gutti Koya remote tribes.

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Stating that she was the first one to study college in her community, she said, “It was an ecstatic moment to receive the award by the hands of the President.”

However, Susheela, who saved the lives of several pregnant women, lost her 19-year-old daughter, a medical student – allegedly by suicide – in April this year.

“It was my daughter who encouraged me to drop an application last year. I dedicate the award to her. Though receiving this award is a moment of pride, we are still unable to fathom the fact that she’s not there with us,” she says.

Established by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 1973, the award is a recognition of exceptional service rendered by nurses and nursing professionals to society. The nominations involve various healthcare institutions, which are then evaluated by esteemed healthcare professionals.