Social worker Draupadi Ghimirey to receive Padma Shri

Guwahati: Social worker and the founder of Sikkim Viklang Sahayata Samity Draupadi Ghimirey has been announced with country's fourth highest civilian award recipient Padma Shri. She has been awarded for her contribution to the person with disabilities since three-decade long service.

Draupadi's NGO helps people with artificial limbs and hands and also provides free cleft palate surgeries and till date 600 such surgeries have been completed.

Receiving the award, Ghimirey said that the award has been a sense of satisfaction for her. "I have not done any work for any award. We need to do things which satisfy our heart and I feel great while I help the people with person with disabilities," Ghimirey said.

"I want to give people a new life who lost their legs and hands in accidents or the person who are disabled by birth as they also have a life. She also created 'Made in Gangtok' artificial limbs inspired by the 'Jaipur Foot' a rubber based prosthetic leg for people with below knee amputations. Ghimirey added.

Ghimirey had left her job as Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) four decades ago to take care of her father who had lost his leg in gangrene. "I could feel the pain of the people unlike my father who has gone through the same and decided to quit my job to serve the people," Ghimirey said.

Ghimirey who hails from Gangtok has also been awarded by the state government and other agencies for her selfless contribution.

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