‘What do you want to become when you grow up’? He asked this question on the first day to every student in the class. Most of the answers were ‘doctors, engineers, scientists, lawyers and judges’. One or two answers would surprise him and he would edit his notes on ‘top ten surprise answers I got today’.
Ramesh Sawant was teaching English in a school for primary classes. His students connected well with him and he was known to tell wonderful stories to children. In the evenings he drove an auto-rickshaw to gain some extra income to support his family. Living in Mumbai was not easy.
can you please take us nayar hospital? We have to take my father who is a Covid patient. No ambulance is free to come. ‘a small girl of ten years asked Ramesh. His heart melted at the request of the girl. He enquired where her father was and they drove home. Her house was in a slum area and the roads leading to her home were narrow and filthy. To make things worse, it was raining that evening. Ramesh helped her father get into the auto-rickshaw. He immediately took out a ppe kit from under his seat and wore it. He reminded the girl and his mother to wear two masks. When he understood they were not carrying any masks he gave them two masks from his stock. The auto left to Nayyar hospital. The patient was coughing through out the journey. Ramesh could make out the patient had difficulty with breathing. He was barely speaking. And what he spoke no one understood. At various times Ramesh asked if they wanted him to stop driving but the daughter and the mother were anxious to reach the hospital
And then there was complete silence….
The patient stopped coughing and trying to talk. Ramesh guessed what must have happened. The daughter and mother were in shock. They were trying to shake the body of the dead man.
‘I went to the passenger seat and checked for pulse and heart rate. Everything had stopped. The mother and daughter understood and began weeping. I stopped for sometime in the rain. The rain washed out my tears. It was the first time someone died in my auto-rickshaw. That day I decided to run my services free for anyone travelling from their home to the covid centre and from the covid centre back home. It was the least I can do for my countrymen’ said Ramesh as he spoke about his free auto service which acted like an ambulance.
Based on the true story of a teacher who rides an auto ambulance for covid patients
:Dattatreya Sawant of Mumbai
https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/trending-in-india/mumbai-teacher-covid-warrior-auto-into-ambulance-7299283/
