Padma Shri awardee Sulagitti Narasamma dies at 98

BENGALURU: Padma Shri awardee Sulagitti Narasamma died on Tuesday at the age of 98 in Bengaluru. Narasamma had helped deliver more than 15,000 babies in Krishnapura, a remote village in Pavagada taluk in Karnataka.

She breathed her last at the BGS Gleneagles Global Hospitals in Kengeri in Bengaluru on Tuesday afternoon. She was admitted to the Siddaganga Hospital and Research Centre in November and was later referred to BGS Hospitals on November 29. She was suffering from a chronic lung decease and was reportedly on ventilator support since the last five days. She died at 3 pm, the doctors said.

She is survived by four sons, three daughters and 36 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

Former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa visited the hospital and mourned the death of Narasamma who was bestowed with the Padma Shri in 2018. 

The nonagenarian farm labourer provided midwifery services in the backward region of Karnataka mostly free of charge.