Kerala nurses, among the first to reach UK, recall experiences after 25 years of service

Three Malayali nurses have completed 25 years of excellent service at East Kent Hospitals, a major NHS trust in the UK. Sherin George, an ITU ward manager and Critical Care Outreach Practitioner (CCOT), Bindu Sebastian, and Annamma Kundukulam have achieved this impressive milestone through their passion and commitment to the profession. 

The trio arrived in the UK as part of the first batch of nurses recruited by the East Kent Trust in 2001. They flew to the UK when recruiting nurses abroad was a significant challenge. Sherin, Bindu, and Annamma have inspired hundreds of Malayali nurses to come to the UK and build successful lives.

The three nurses had begun their careers in the hospital's critical care department. They now oversee various departments. Sherin George works as a ward manager at the intensive treatment unit in Willian Harvey Hospital, Ashford. Meanwhile, Bindu Sebastian and Annamma Kundukulam work as Critical Care Outreach Specialists at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, respectively. 

“Bindu and Annamma have played critical roles in formulating many healthcare programs that have saved the patients’ lives. Their incredible leadership quality to ensure efficient healthcare outside the four walls of the critical care unit is really impressive,” said critical care lead nurse Melanie Ashraf. 

Meanwhile, Sherin George recalled that the critical care unit had just seven beds when she joined William Harvey Hospital. It has since grown into a modern medical facility with 24 beds. “I consider myself lucky to have been part of the hospital during its phase of growth. I am proud that I have worked hard and proved that the trust’s decision to recruit foreign nurses was right,” Sherin said.