Thalaivi award, bestowed by a grateful and appreciative public, on six Kauverian role models at Trichy in honor of International Women’s Day

Gethsial Kiruba*

Senior Executive, Quality and Training, Kauvery Hospitals, India.

*Correspondence: Tel: +91 9791417858; email: gethsialkiruba@gmail.com

Background

Our world would mean nothing without women. Women are the epitome of strength and courage. Every year, March 8 is celebrated as Women’s Day. On this day, we appreciate the strong, intelligent, talented, and extraordinary women in our lives. Working women of today’s world contribute a lot to their work as well to their families and it is not easy being a working woman. To honour and to recognize the working women, Dindigul District HR Foundation (DDHRF) introduced the Thalaivi Award and awarded them at their 2nd Annual Celebration of International Women’s Day held on March 11, 2022, at Vivera Grande, Dindigul.

Around 250 participants from 100 organizations from Dindigul and Trichy districts were applied for this award.

Six Kauverians, from the three units of Kauvery hospitals, Trichy as 2 from each unit, were selected for the award.

Award Winners

  1. Tennur Unit – Ms. Mahalakshmi and Ms. Gayathri
  2. Cantonment Unit – Ms. Booma.S and Ms. Rathika.M
  3. Heartcity Unit – Ms. Umarani.S and Ms. Pitchaimmal.M

Ms. Mahalakshmi, Nursing Superintendent of Tennur Unit has 23 years of experience, has a piece of sound knowledge, is skillful as a leader, excels in an administration role, and manages nursing services of a 200 bedded multi-specialty hospital. She has set an example, and is a role model, to all junior nurse leaders and nurses. She started her career as a staff nurse and was promoted along with each cadre of nursing and currently is the nursing head. Under her leadership, her team managed the covid pandemic very successfully, and without any hesitation. She is a great asset to our organization.

As per the Government stipulations, Tennur initially created 25 beds to accommodate critical and non-critical Covid patients. Appropriate training and counseling were given to the nursing team. Strengthening and streamlining the Covid management protocols on O2 management, investigations, and medications, as per standard guidelines like MOHFW/ICMR, were put in place. Trichy Joint Director of Health Services (JDHS), along with his team, came for inspection and approved the unit as an authorized Covid Referral Centre. The first positive patient was admitted during the month of June’20. As the inpatient flow increased, a Covid Care Centre for stable patients was organized at Red Fox Hotel. With the support of her team, she was able to handle and manage all the crises that arose during this novel experience with a strange virus and a new disease, like shortage of PPE, face shields, and new Covid- specific medications during the first wave, and the crises during the second wave like shortages of O2 supply and devices. She took initiative in managing this situation by assigning O2 nurses individually to monitor the usage of O2 and thereby ensured efficient utilization of oxygen.

Her leadership made her nursing team treat around 4000 inpatients during the three waves, more than 10000 outpatients, and nearly 2500 patients in the covid care centre successfully. Recognizing and appreciating her excellent leadership and management of nursing services for the past 25 years, DDHRF awarded her with the honorable “Thalaivi award”.

Ms.-Mahalakshmi

Ms. Booma. S, Assistant Nursing Superintendent of Cantonment Unit, with 25 years of experience in health care, was nominated for this award for her excellent coordination in managing the patient care of a 2-year-old infant with Citrullinemia who had undergone a liver transplant. This was the First Liver Transplant for lifesaving surgery to the youngest child in Trichy down south. The way the team led by her managed the baby during the postoperative period met all the challenges that arose, like respiratory concerns, fluid and electrolyte imbalance, gastro-intestinal concerns, medication management, hematology concerns, acute rejection, care of tubes & drains, maintaining central venous (CVC) lines and managing nephrotoxicity, vascular occlusion, etc. by early ambulation of the baby. Besides offering round-the-clock intensive nursing support, they were able to provide psychological and emotional support to a very young child who had a life-threatening disease and life-defining surgery-liver transplantation. She expressed, “Without the mother, managing a conscious baby by providing emotional support for 25 days was the greatest opportunity and achievement, as we all were not nurses to the baby; we were mothers. She also highlighted a tamil thirukkural that

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and felt very happy about the results of her team’s hard work and commitment.

Secondly, she was appreciated by the consultants for managing a patient with massive upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding in the middle of the night, and for her effective coordination with other critical care services that enabled and ensured an emergency endoscopic procedure to save the patient’s life. Her hard work and her kind approach helped many patients to feel better soon.

Thirdly, When the Covid pandemic started and the lockdown was imposed across the country during the month of March 2020, her mother had passed away on March 24th. Yet considering the pandemic situation of increased patient flow and shortage of nurses in the hospital, she joined back to the duty on March 27th itself to take part in managing her patients, and as a service to the community.

Considering her sacrifice and dedication towards patient care, and appreciating the care and compassion towards her patients, she was awarded this prestigious “Thalaivi Award”.

Ms.-Booma

Ms. Umarani. S, Assistant Nursing Superintendent of Heartcity Unit, with 18 years of experience, was awarded for her kindness in taking care of patients, self-less service, unfailing punctuality, and availability to serve under all circumstances. Her career growth, after starting her career as a staff nurse, has been an inspiring model to other nurses. Her quick learning, leadership skill, excellent communication with the patients and consultants made her grow in each cadre and today she is in her position of assistant nursing superintendent. Recognizing her excellent work towards patient care and nursing services, she was nominated for and received the “Thalaivi Award”.

Ms.-Umarani

Ms. Gayathri, Executive Operations from Tennur Unit, with 16 years of experience. She has great interest and passion towards 5S (Sustain, Standardize, Sort, Set, and Shine). She learns with sustained interest and she implements the same in everyday health care in the hospital. She is one of the leaders who created the 5S culture in the organization. She motivates her colleagues as well as to take part in 5S activities, Lean projects, and Quality Circle implementation. Considering her ongoing commitment and dedicated service to the organization, she was awarded the “Thalaivi Award”.

Ms.-Gayathri

Ms. Pitchaiammal. M, is Assistant Manager from Heartcity Unit, with 17 years of experience. She started her career as an ANM staff but her commitment towards the organization and her sense of responsibility and accountability made her to grow in her career, and today she is holding the assistant manager cadre. She is a multi-tasker with a high sense of belonging to the organization. She is very punctual in her work and regular in attendance. Recognizing her tireless service and enthusiasm in her work, the DDHRF Foundation honored her with the “Thalaivi Award”.

Ms.-Pitchaiammal

Ms. Rathika. M, Security Guard from Cantonment Unit has 2 years of experience at Kauvery. She is a person of great trustworthiness and honesty. During her working hours, she has found lost mobile phones, money, gold, etc by the patient’s relatives and returned the same to them safely, with no delay once found. The organization feels very proud of her integrity. She earned respect with her sweet gestures; her honesty was much appreciated and the organization also thus gained trust. To recognize, appreciate, and applaud her integrity and sense of public and patient service, she was nominated and awarded the “Thalaivi Award”.

Ms.-Rathika
N.-Gethsial-Kiruba

N. Gethsial Kiruba

Senior Executive – Quality and Training

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