Uma Preman
Preman in c. 2016
Born(1970-05-31)31 May 1970
NationalityIndian
OccupationSocial worker
OrganizationShanthi Medical Information Center
SpousePreman Thaikad
Websitesanthimedicalinfo.org

Uma Preman (born 31 May 1970) is an Indian social worker from Kerala. She is the founder of Santhi Medical Information Center, a nonprofit charitable organization that provides medical guidance, care and rehabilitation for patients with limited income and resources.[1][2][3]

Biography

Early life and marriage

Uma Preman, born to TK Balakrishnan and Thankamani in Palakkad, Kerala spent her formative years in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. At the age of eight, her mother abandoned the family for another man, leaving Uma to care for herself and her three-year-old brother.[1][4] At the age of 18, Uma travelled to Kolkata to meet Mother Teressa and join Missionaries of Charity. After a few months of service, she was assigned to the Mission at Kerala, where she served as a caregiver for elderly and terminally ill patients.[4] During her service, Uma reunited with her mother, who was facing financial difficulties after separation with her second husband. Uma's mother urged her to marry Preman Thaikad, a wealthy travel agent who promised to pay off her debt in return. Uma soon found out that Preman, who was 26 years older than her, was suffering from a severe form of tuberculosis. Due to Preman's worsening condition, the couple spent most of their time together in hospitals. Preman died seven years later in 1997.[1][4]

Santhi Medical Information Center

During frequent hospital visits with Preman, Uma noticed the difficulties faced by rural patients in receiving medical help and information and offered to assist them. After Preman passed away, Uma continued receiving pleas for help, which prompted her to set up a medical advisory organization, Santhi Medical Information Center (SMIC), in Kottapadi, a village near Guruvayur.[1] She travelled to many cities to gather information on available medical resources for specific ailments. Upon returning home, she sold the house inherited from Preman and set up an office in a rented house. As the service grew popular, Uma started receiving charitable donations from various sources,[2][5] which allowed SMIC to move to a permanent location and increase the scope of the services provided. Over the years, the organization added ambulance services, kidney dialysis facilities and rehabilitation clinics for paraplegic patients.[4] As of 2019, SMIC facilitated 20,500 heart surgeries, 650 kidney transplantations and kidney dialysis for 2,000,000 patients.[3] The organization has also helped repatriate and rehabilitate migrant Indian workers with chronic conditions.[2][6]

Organ donation

In 1999, Uma became one of the first altruistic organ donors in India, when she donated one of her kidneys to Salil Balakrishnan, a 24-year-old patient with kidney failure. Because of strict government regulation for organ donation in India, Uma had to present her case before the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu and get approval.[7] In the following decades, Uma's role in public education about organ transplant along with campaigns led by Davis Chiramel and Kochouseph Chittilappilly helped Kerala become the leading state in India for organ donations.[8][9]

Santhi Gramam

In 2014, Uma initiated Santhi Gramam (lit. Village of peace), a social welfare project aimed at improving the standard of living of locals in the Attapadi tribal taluk, Palakkad, Kerala. Under this project, SMIC set up several healthcare and educational institutions including basic infrastructure like water tanks, toilets and community kitchens. The project also created employment opportunities by incentivizing organic farming and cottage industries manufacturing agricultural products.[10] A major focus of the project was on improving menstrual health of young females. As parts of the initiative, a sanitary napkin manufacturing unit was set up in Attapadi and exclusive toilets stocked with feminine hygiene products were created for adolescent girls [10][11] Santhi Gramam also invested in low-cost, sustainable and climate-responsive housing solutions,[12][13] which were applied in the rapid construction of 51 anganwadis (rural child care center) in Arunachal Pradesh in 2021.[14][15]

APJ Abdul Kalam International Residential Tribal School

In 2017, Uma founded APJ Abdul Kalam International Residential Tribal School in Attapadi to provide primary education in the local tribal languages to improve student enrollment and retention in the tribal communities[16].[17] In 2021, Uma helped launch a local television channel in Attapadi to broadcast educational content to the students in their native languages and deliver daily news to the locals.[18]

Recognition and reception

Uma Preman received over 150 awards,[2] including the Woman Icon Award 2018, Vanitha Woman of the Year 2015[19] and CNN-IBN Real Heroes (Health and Disability) 2010.[20]

The 2015 Malayalam-language biographical novel Nilachoru written by Shabu Kilithattil is inspired by Uma Preman's life.[21] In 2020, Tamil director Vigneswaran Vijayan (Vicky) announced a bilingual (Tamil and Malayalam) biographical film on her life.[22]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "An 'unhappy marriage' that has saved thousands of lives". BBC News. 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Comatose Indian worker finds guardian in Kerala". gulfnews.com. 2017-09-07. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  3. 1 2 ஃப்ரீடா,வெங்கடேஷ்.ஆர், ஜெனி (2019-12-19). "துயர்களை வென்ற மனுஷி!". Ananda Vikatan (in Tamil). Retrieved 2023-07-07.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Destiny, don't meddle with Uma!". English Archives. 2015-04-22. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  5. ↑ George, Joseph (2015-11-16). "Why this widow donated her kidney to a stranger; Now UAE NRIs help her - News - Emirates - Emirates24|7". www.emirates247.com. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  6. ↑ "'Guardian angel' flies home second bedridden Indian worker from Dubai". gulfnews.com. 2018-06-23. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  7. ↑ Goklany, Tania (2016-11-10). "Are Altruistic Donations The Answer To India's Organ Deficit?". NDTV-Fortis More to Give: Be an Organ Donor. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  8. ↑ Choudhury, Kushanava. "Kerala's mass movement for organ donation". The Caravan. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  9. ↑ "Why Kerala is leading the way in organ donation". Hindustan Times. 2016-09-01. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  10. 1 2 Pal, Sanchari (6 April 2017). "How One Dedicated Woman Set up Kerala's 'Village of Peace'". www.thebetterindia.com. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  11. ↑ "Attappady's hygiene initiative gets nationwide attention". The Hindu. 2017-10-08. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  12. ↑ "This model house at Attappady was built within 10 days on a budget of Rs 5 lakh". OnManorama. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  13. ↑ "Social activist comes up with prefab houses for the flood-hit". OnManorama. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  14. ↑ "'വെളിച്ചം പോലുമില്ലാത്ത നാട്ടിൽ അക്ഷരവെളിച്ചമായി 51 അംഗൻവാടികൾ': നന്മയുടെ കരംനീട്ടി ഉമ പ്രേമൻ | uma preman anganwadi projects | arunachal pradesh anganwadi project". vanitha.in. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  15. ↑ Venugopalan, Malavika (2021-08-20). "A Woman of Endearment – Uma Preman". FWD Life | The Premium Lifestyle Magazine |. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  16. ↑ "'മനസ്സിനെ ഉലച്ചു കളഞ്ഞു ആ കുട്ടിയുടെ വാക്കുകൾ. അതിനുള്ള മറുപടി, എപിജെ അബ്ദുൾ കലാം ആദിവാസി റസിഡന്‍ഷ്യൽ സ്കൂൾ'; ഉമ പ്രേമൻ | uma preman interview | 2015 vanitha woman of the year | women's day feature | apj abdul kalam tribal residential school | vanitha". vanitha.in. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
  17. ↑ Ezhutchan, Ramesh. "രാജ്യാന്തര നിലവാരത്തിലുള്ള സ്കൂൾ; ഫീസായി ഒരു രൂപ പോലും വേണ്ട!". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  18. ↑ "Kerala's Attappadi tribal students to attend online classes in their own Irula language". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  19. ↑ "ഉമിത്തീയില്‍ ഈ ചിരി വിരിഞ്ഞു; 'വനിത വുമണ്‍ ഓഫ് ദി ഇയര്‍ 2015' ഉമ പ്രേമന്റെ കഥ | Uma Preman | Vanitha Women of the year 2015". vanitha.in. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  20. ↑ Uma Preman-'CNN-IBN Real Heroes Awards 2010', retrieved 2021-12-28
  21. ↑ "Biographical novel on organ donor set for release". The Hindu. 2015-11-17. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  22. ↑ "Biopic of Uma Preman to be directed by Vigneswaran Vijayan". The Times of India. 2020-12-04. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
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