Tamil Nadu Appoints India's First Woman Ambulance Driver

In a country's first, a woman was appointed as an ambulance driver in Tamil Nadu.

Breaking the stereotype, M Veeralakshmi was officially appointed for the job on Monday, August 31 at an event in the Secretariat.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami flagged off 118 emergency health transport services as part of an initiative to strengthen emergency medical services in the state.

Nearly 90 ambulances equipped with life-saving medical equipment, 10 high tech vehicles for use by ten government blood banks for transporting blood collected in camps and 18 ambulances donated by an entertainment television channel group to cater medical aid to the non-COVID patients were reportedly flagged off.

"People have always questioned me for having chosen to be a driver, but I believe that with adequate training and hard-work anyone can do it, irrespective of gender. When we can provide for our family and also motivate others by walking a different path, there's no reason to hesitate" she signs off, raring to go, save lives," Veeralakshmi told DNA.

On March 24, the Chief Minister had announced in the Assembly that to further strengthen the 108 ambulance emergency services in the state, 500 new ambulances will be put to service at a cost of about ₹125 crores.

In the first phase of its implementation, 90 ambulances and 10 blood collection vehicles, at an estimated cost of ₹20.65 crores and ₹3.09 crore respectively, were procured.

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