BERHAMPUR: Autorickshaw drivers are not as rude in their behavior everywhere as they are made out to be; those in Berhampur have turned saviours for patients in need.
For nine years now, a group of 30 autorickshaw drivers of Berhampur have been providing free rides to pregnant women and patients in need of emergency care to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital (MCH) and City hospital. And their voluntary service is available round-the-clock.
The brain behind the initiative is Gagan Patra, an autorickshaw driver himself. A school dropout, 42-year-old Patra launched the initiative in 2016 after his son’s illness. “My son suffered from fits from a young age. He suffered from a bad seizure one night and we could not find any vehicle to take him to hospital then. Fortunately, a truck driver from Andhra Pradesh helped us reach MKCG MCH. Although I offered him `300, he refused to take it,” Patra, a resident of Gata Bazaar in Berhampur, recalled.
Following the incident, he decided to use his autorickshaw to also help patients in need and his first such ride was for a pregnant woman. “I was dropping a passenger home when I saw a pregnant woman and her elderly mother walking on the road with much difficulty. There were no male family members around. So I decided to take them to the MCH for free. That is how this journey began,” he recalled.
Next day, Patra put up a poster on his autorickshaw mentioning that he offers free rides to poor pregnant women and patients in need of emergency medical care. Over a period of time, his fellow auto drivers took interest in his initiative and decided to join in. “As the initiative gathered momentum through word of mouth, more auto drivers evinced interest in joining us,” he said.
The group continued its services during the Covid-19 pandemic too. Since there were restrictions on movement of vehicles during the lockdowns, they sought intervention of the then collector Vijay Amruta Kulange who allowed them to carry on with their free rides for patients with all mandated precautions.
During the last nine years, the group has provided free rides to over 6,000 needy patients, mostly pregnant women and road accident victims.
Like Patra, all the 30 autorickshaw drivers have posters on the back of their vehicles offering free rides to pregnant women and people in emergency medical cases. Besides, their mobile numbers are mentioned so that people can contact them at any point of time. Similar posters have also been posted at crowded places like railway station, bus stand and markets.
“Locals too have helped us in our drive. Whenever we carry a passenger and see a patient, we request the former to alight the vehicle to help us take the latter to hospital. And they agree,” Patra said.
For better coordination among all the group members in carrying out the initiative, Patra hopes for government help in the shape of an office space where they can meet every day.