Maharashtra’s first woman ambulance driver, Anita Gosavi; unafraid of death, fears only PUNE’s TRAFFIC
Nozia Sayyed
Pune: Meet 46-year-old Anita Gosavi, Maharashtra’s first and only woman ambulance driver, who works shoulder to shoulder with men and drives through chaos, grief and traffic jams with unshakeable courage.
A resident of Vallabhnagar in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Anita is a single mother, not even fourth standard pass. Yet, when she speaks, there is clarity, confidence and deep compassion, qualities that no degree can teach.
Anita reached out to National Bulletin to share her journey, recalling how the COVID-19 pandemic changed her life forever.
When asked what led her to becoming an ambulance driver, Anita recollected, “All my family members, my husband, my in laws, everyone tested COVID positive during the pandemic. Seeing this, I shifted to my brother’s house. He owns ambulances and was ferrying patients to COVID care centres at the time. Within two days, even he tested positive, and his ambulance services came to a halt.”
Distress calls from hospitals and COVID centres continued to pour in. Patients were dying. Families were desperate.
“I witnessed such distress calls day in and day out. That’s when I decided patients should not suffer,” Anita said. “I told my brother I would take one of the ambulances and start driving to help.”
What began as a crisis decision soon became her calling.
“Once I started driving the ambulance, I realised how much I love helping people. Driving an ambulance is not as difficult as people think. It’s like driving any other four-wheeler, but with far greater responsibility.”
During the COVID pandemic alone, Anita transported over 300 patients. Today, she says, she has lost count.
Her work, however, does not end with saving lives.
Especially in road and railway accident cases, Anita often picks up unclaimed bodies. “When no family comes forward, I even perform the cremations myself,” she said.
“People used to tease me,” she smiled. “‘Be careful, the dead body might sit up,’ they would say. But I was never scared.”
When asked what scares her the most, if not corpses, Anita replied without hesitation, “Pune’s traffic.”
“Reaching patients on time and transporting them safely to hospitals is the biggest challenge,” she said. “I request the state government and city authorities to ease traffic for ambulances. Today, navigating traffic jams and reaching hospitals or patients in time is extremely difficult. If traffic issues are addressed, many more lives can be saved.”
“What is more painful is that despite my service and being the lone woman ambulance driver, my work has still not been officially recognised by the state authorities,” she added.
“Driving an ambulance is nothing to be ashamed of. It is one of the most respectable jobs. I was never belittled by my male colleagues. I was always supported.”
On Anita being the only woman in this profession in the state, National Bulletin contacted Bade Bhai, President of the Pune Ambulance Association, who said, “We are proud of Anita. She is fearless and courageous. Women are not judged in this profession. In fact, we urge more women to enter this field.”
“Anita is currently the first and only woman ambulance driver in the state, and she is now training her younger sister to follow in her footsteps,” he added.
Calling for official recognition, he said, “The state government must acknowledge her courage and service at a larger level and inspire more women to take up this profession.”