Uma Preman

Uma Preman (born 1970) is an Indian social worker and founder of Santhi Medical Information Center (SMIC). SMIC is a charitable organization founded on August 24th 1997 in Guruvayur, Trichur District, Kerala, India. SMIC is a resource center, for those who seek medical information, treatment & financial assistance for crippling or life- threatening illnesses. SMIC also runs a tribal school in Attappadi Kerala, APJ Abdul Kalam International Residential School.
== Early life ==
Uma Preman grew up in Coimbatore, a city in the state of Tamil Nadu. Her father, TK Balakrishnan and her mother, Thankamani, both came from the Palakkad district of Kerala. Her father Balakrishnan always dreams to became a doctor but unfortunately had to quit his studies due to his uncle, who was the head of the family at the time (due to Marumakkathayam ), felt he should be working on the family farm, instead of becoming a doctor. He started working as compounder in his village in a clinic with Doctor Punnyavanam who used to be his classmate in Chennai and , he was able to treat small illnesses around the neighborhood . As a way of showing their gratitude, families provided Balakrishnan with snacks and sweets. Uma’s interest in the medical field came when she went with her father to treat a patient of his, who had gangrene. Seeing how the terrible condition the man was in, Uma felt encouraged to move in her father’s footsteps.
== Marriage ==
At 8, Uma’s mother had left her father for another man, but came back to her father when she was 17. At 19, Uma was married off to Preman Thaikad, who was 26 year older than her at the time, and already had 3 different wives before her. This decision was made by her mother, Thankamani who was in debt from her second husband who abandoned her. The reason for this decision was that Uma’s new husband will be able to clear Thankamani’s debts, due to him being very wealthy. Uma later found out that she was going to be a caretaker to her husband, due to his tuberculosis. Uma had spent eight rough years with Preman Thaikad. They lived in the northern Indian city of Mumbai, where Preman would constantly have many outbursts and abuse and torment Uma. Preman would frequently go to parties with his friends and did a great deal of drinking. Preman’s massive alcoholism took a toll on his liver and he became more ill. This caused him to spend his last days with Uma in various hospitals. Preman Thaikad died in 1997, after leaving his property and will under Uma’s name. They have a son and his name is Sarath Sagar currently working as an assistant director in Tamil movie industries.
== Santhi Medical Information Center ==
During her frequent visits at the hospital with Preman, Uma realized that most less-privileged people in the area did not get the medical attention and treatment that they deserved. She learned that these people were ill-informed about the care that they could get. Uma decided to go forward and help them by guiding them to the doctors and filling forms for them. When she started getting multiple calls regarding medical advice once she had left the hospital in Trivandrum, where Uma had gone for her husband’s treatment, Uma started Santhi Medical Information Center. She began working for the organization herself to find medical information and data about treatments and where to get them by traveling across India. Uma later started to prioritize helping kidney disease patients by trying to convince people to donate. She was not too successful in getting people to donate and decided more had to be done. In an effort to set an example, Uma donated her own kidney to an orphan, Salil. In 1999, Salil was 26 and was going through dialysis for his condition. Uma Preman has been helping under-privilaged and people in desperate need of medical treatment and care since through Santhi Medical Information Center.
In 2014, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam International Residential Tribal Schoolwas started as an extension project of SMIC’s (Santhi medical Information Centre) Attappadi Welfare Project. APJ Abdul Kalam Tribal Residential School was started for providing quality education, exclusively for tribal children, mainly from kurumba community of Attappady, in complete residential mode with superior infrastructure and resource pool.
== Awards ==
Uma Preman received many awards like, Woman Icon Award 2018, Vanitha woman of the year 2015, CNN-IBN Real Heroes (Health and Disability) 2010, Sadguru Gnananand national award 2006
Category:People from Coimbatore
Category:1970 births
Category:Indian people