Image Credits: Amar Ujala, Amar Ujala
Himachal Pradesh
Meet Nancy Katnoria, 22-Yr-Old From Himachal Pradesh, Who Is State's First Woman Ambulance Driver
|The 22-year-old girl hails from Hamirpur and was extremely fond of driving from a very young age. She is India's second woman to take an ambulance's driver seat after a Tamil Nadu woman named Veeralakshmi in 2020.
A 22-year-old woman named Nancy Katnoria broke the glass ceiling by becoming Himachal Pradesh's first woman to drive an ambulance. Hailing from Hamirpur, she joined the 102 Ambulance services at the Nurpur Civil Hospital, and she was trained to drive at the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) school. Speaking to The Tribune, Katnoria said, "I am jubilant at joining the 102 emergency ambulance service at the Nurpur Civil Hospital and fulfilling my wish."
The 102 and 108 services were established in 2014 by a Patna-based organisation called Medswan Foundation. It has around 125 such ambulances around Himachal Pradesh. Medswan's district in-charge, Ishan Rana, told the news publication, "The company has not only hired drivers and support staff of the previous GVK EMRI service but also given opportunities to the newly-trained youth."
The 102 ambulance service is a part of India's health infrastructure that provides 24-hour service to pregnant women, mothers, police, medical emergencies, etc. They are known for giving employment opportunities to the youth in several states across the country.
Making Her Family Proud
From a very young age, Nancy Katnoria was highly fond of driving. As reported by Amar Ujala, her parents pushed her to pursue her dreams and gifted her a two-wheeler that she went around her village. For two months, Katnoria learnt how to drive at the Himachal Road Transport Corporation school. While her family supported this decision, her peers often questioned Nancy Katnoria about it. However, she paid no heed and decided to dedicate herself to being at the service of the people.
In recent years, more women are becoming a part of workplaces dominated by men earlier. In 2020, a woman named Veeralakshmi became Tamil Nadu's and the country's first woman ambulance driver. She worked as a cab driver earlier before she took up an ambulance driver during the pandemic to support her family.
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