Charity artwork celebrates diversity of healthcare workers

A new display of fundraising artwork at the Royal Stoke University Hospital is celebrating the diversity and talents of our healthcare professionals.

As part of the ‘Beauty in Diversity’ project, international student healthcare professionals from across the UK submitted artwork marking the covid-19 pandemic, with proceeds of the sale of their work donated to the Healthcare Workers Foundation.

The money raised from the paintings and cash donations were used to support the families of bereaved healthcare workers who died fighting on the frontline during the covid pandemic.

The artwork is being displayed at NHS Hospitals and GP practices across the country to celebrate the diversity of our healthcare staff and communities.

The project was led by Dr Sai Pillarisetti, a student cardiology doctor at UHNM since August 2022 and Junior Doctor Chairman of the British International Doctors Association (BIDA).

The works feature scenes reflecting the pandemic from around the globe.

Dr Pillarisetti said: “It is wonderful to see the diversity themed artwork installed on the walls of Royal Stoke. The aim of this initiative was to provide some financial support to bereaved families of frontline healthcare workers from the pandemic, while promoting diversity in healthcare and I am very grateful to the team at UHNM for supporting us in this endeavour by displaying the beautiful artwork. I am also thankful to the Healthcare Workers Foundation for helping us use the money raised to support these families.”

“We should be really proud of the diversity in our NHS and in wider UK society and I hope the initiative will highlight this.”

The artwork was unveiled by UHNM Chief Executive Tracy Bullock.

Tracy said: I think we’ve got some highly-skilled people out there, and it’s another great opportunity to showcase diversity in a way that’s more meaningful. The artwork’s location on a busy area of the hospital means everybody has the opportunity to view them and share the pleasure."

Husnaa Khan, Medical Student, Queens University Belfast was chosen as the winning artist.

She said: "As an artist, I have incorporated the challenges faced by the public during these unprecedented times into artwork, turning the limitations imposed on them into a source of inspiration. The title of my painting, ‘The New Normal’, is shown to depict that wearing a mask has become the new norm and sighting someone not wearing a mask has become foreign and unusual today!"

Dr Chandra Kanneganti, BIDA Natioanl President and former Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent added: “All of us at BIDA are very proud of this initiative led by Sai and our younger members. The legacy of our Covid heroes who fought on the front lines must never be forgotten and this fundraiser to support their families is a wonderful tribute. I am also thankful to all who have donated and supported the fundraiser with the beautiful diversity themed artwork and I hope these thought provoking pieces will resonate with the public.”

Originally from India, Sai moved to Lancashire in 2017 and was inspired to study medicine after watching both his grandmothers suffer from breast cancer.