Kerala woman ambulance driver braves monsoon showers to save lives

Several parts of Kerala have been experiencing heavy rainfall for the past few days. However, the downpour could not scare Palakkad ambulance driver M Praseetha from doing her duty fearlessly. The 36-year-old, who drives the ambulance at P Balachandra Menon Smaraka Foundation Hospital in Vadavannur, won praise for showing up for a patient despite trying weather, recently. 

Malayala Manorama reported that Praseetha rushed to a patient's house around 1 am on July 25, without anyone's support or help, and drove the patient to a private hospital in Kollengode without any delay. The youngster, who also holds a nursing diploma and has worked as a nursing assistant at various hospitals for eight years, says she remains composed while handling accident victims or those gravely injured. "Accidents or sudden illness could happen to anyone at any time, and I don't mind whether it is day or night to transport the patients to the hospital," said Praseetha.

She took to ambulance driving out of curiosity, though it is a field dominated by men. It's only been two years since she started the job. Although her ambulance had a co-driver, Praseetha had also transported patients alone at night earlier.

She also recollects instances when her job tested her resilience. Driving a woman in my neighbourhood to the hospital, after he injured her head in a fall, was quite tough.  I try to be mentally strong while driving people who are close to me, in the ambulance," she says.  As a nurse, she had changed the urine tubes of patients, dressed their wounds, and even administered injections to them.  Praseetha sees this as a duty more than just a job and wishes to continue doing it. Her husband K Radhakrishnan works as an office attendant at the government printing press in Shorannur. Amritesh and Jhanvi are her children.