Free taxi ride for pregnant women in Hyderabad
With many cab drivers not willing to take people to hospitals, Shaik Salauddin has formed a group of drivers helping pregnant women go to hospital
Hyderabad: The pandemic has in effect locked everyone up, even those who need regular medical attention. While most patients are able to consult their doctors over phone, it is getting difficult for expecting mothers to go for regular check-ups, which are extremely important.
In some cases, the women are afraid of traveling in a cab, while in other cases, cab drivers are not willing to take them to the hospital. Stepping in to help them through this crisis is Shaik Salauddin, president of the Telangana Four Wheeler Drivers’ Association, who has formed a group of drivers helping pregnant women go to hospital.
It was Salauddin’s wife who motivated him to start such a service. “I was recently blessed with a daughter. A few weeks ago, when my wife wanted to go for a check-up, she found it difficult to book a cab as drivers are scared to take people to hospitals. She urged me to start a service through which pregnant women can commute safely to and from hospital,” he says.
The service, which was launched only a few weeks ago, is completely free of cost. “To make sure that drivers, who have been adversely affected financially by the pandemic, do not suffer further losses, the Telangana Four Wheeler Drivers’ Association is bearing the entire cost of the service,” shares Salauddin.
The team has been able to help 22 women till now. Naseem, an elderly lady who lives in Bahadurpura, couldn’t seem to thank these drivers enough. “My daughter went into labour late at night and we didn’t have any vehicle to take her to the hospital. Ambulances were not available and when we tried booking cabs, they were charging exorbitant price even for the short distance. I then got Salauddin’s number from a family friend and he was very helpful,” she recalls.
Drivers who are operating these special cabs are also working full time with cab aggregators. “We have a group where we flag any such requests, and the driver who is near and has no rides can go to the customers. We sanitise the entire cab thoroughly in front of the customer so they don’t have doubts about their safety. Most of us have also arranged for pillows for the pregnant women and we drive as smoothly as possible so as to not cause any inconvenience to them,” says Prakash Kuna, one of the drivers who is part of the initiative.
Pregnant woman looking for assistance to go to hospital can contact the team on 91776 24678.
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