Candlelight Deliveries: Lakshadweep Nurse's Heroic Tales

Hindumbi Kaurom Kakkada, honored with the 2023 Florence Nightingale Award, dedicated decades to providing essential healthcare in Lakshadweep's remote islands. Her career began when basic medical facilities were scarce, and reaching patients involved treacherous sea journeys. Kakkada frequently performed life-saving procedures, including emergency deliveries and surgeries, under candlelight due to common power outages. Limited infrastructure and medicine supply delays from Kochi were daily challenges.

Healthcare workers in Lakshadweep during her early career often managed wards with up to 50 patients, relying heavily on improvisation and courage. Communication between islands was poor, necessitating the use of fishing boats or naval ships for emergencies. Kakkada recalled critical maternal emergencies where she transfused blood during rough sea voyages, emphasizing the reliance on experience and quick decisions over advanced technology.

Kakkada's service involved significant personal sacrifice, including missing family events and returning to work soon after childbirth due to staff shortages. The trust and gratitude from patients, who often viewed healthcare workers as part of their families, provided her with strength. Even after retirement, she returned to nursing, finding purpose in her continued service to the community.