BAPIO is delighted to congratulate Marimouttou Coumarassamy (Coumar), Founder and Chair of the British Indian Nurses Association (BINA) which is an arm’s length body of BAPIO, on being awarded an MBE in the King’s New Years Honours List 2025 for services to supporting international nurses.
Coumar is currently working as the Deputy Chief Operating Officer in Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health NHS FT (BSMHFT). He completed his nurse training in Pondicherry, India (1994) and migrated to the UK in 2003 when he joined BSMHFT. He continued his professional development with MSc in Forensic Mental Health Care (University of Birmingham) and MBA in Health Executive (Keele University). He has also completed the Ready Now Programme and Nye Bevan Executive Leadership Programme in NHS Leadership Academy.
Coumar has been chosen by Health Service Journal as one of the most influential BAME people in health & care continuously for the last three years (2022-24). He has been awarded the ‘Inclusive Leadership’ Award in the BSMHFT Trust Values 2022 awards. Coumar is also the recipient of BAPIO Nurse of the Year award in 2021.
About the honours Coumar said: “I am delighted and humbled to be in His Majesty’s New Year’s Honours list. All Glory to God.
My heartfelt thanks to Dr Ramesh Mehta and Dr JS Bamrah of BAPIO who encouraged me to start the British Indian Nurses Association (back in 2018). My heartfelt thanks to Suresh Packiam and Team BINA who helped us to lift BINA off the ground in 2020. Starting with 200 members, our membership has crossed more than 4000, reaching out to more than 42 organisations across UK, helping our communities to break the glass ceilings across the country. There is still a lot more to do to support, educate and mentor our members, as we fight discrimination for Indian nurses. I remain committed in our efforts to contribute more and continue to uplift communities.
Credit goes to BAPIO and our team BINA for their passion, continued dedication, and leadership as we make steady progress.
My gratitude to Roisin F Williams (CEO, BSMHFT) & her team for their nurturing spirit and my family for their unwavering faith in my abilities. Finally, to my mum as none of this would have been possible without her.
I dedicate this award to past and present Indian nurses who have made huge sacrifices for the NHS.”