“I was the first person from my village to step out and study. I come from Eppalapalli Thanda, a small tribal hamlet in Nagarkurnool district.

At the age of 8, I moved to Hyderabad, but even in the city, life wasn’t easy. We had financial struggles at home, but I always wanted to do something that mattered. I saw the health problems in my village—things people in cities barely notice. I wanted to become a doctor, but we couldn’t afford it. So I chose nursing.

In the beginning, I faced a lot of judgement. Some people said, “Why is a tribal boy doing a woman’s job?” But I never let those comments stop me. I finished B.Sc. Nursing and specialised in Medical-Surgical Nursing. It’s been 15 years now, and I’ve assisted in over 6,000 orthopaedic surgeries as a scrub nurse.

One patient I still remember was an elderly man who had no one with him after surgery. His sons lived abroad. I stayed with him for a week—helping him like I would help my own father. Moments like that remind me why I do this work. People often see nurses as just support staff, but I believe nurses are the backbone of any hospital. Without us, nothing works.

During COVID-19, people finally saw what nurses do. But I feel recognition shouldn’t come only during a crisis. That’s why I started the Nursing Officers Association in 2017—to speak up for nurses, especially in private hospitals. We fight for fair pay, dignity, and equal respect.

I’ve never forgotten where I come from. I’ve worked on tribal health research in Bhadrachalam, raised awareness on malnutrition and skin diseases, organised free workshops, and brought nurses together through events like the National Young Nurses Conference. I’ve also led campaigns for safer deliveries and hosted candle rallies across Telangana.

I’ve received awards like the Youth Icon Award, Florence Nightingale Nurses Award, and the State-Level Best Nurse Award in 2024. But more than awards, it’s the journey that matters.

Today, I serve as the newly appointed State Joint Secretary of the Telangana Nurses Association, and I continue to fight for better conditions for our nursing community in the state and the country.”

• Laxman Rudavath