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Himachal’s first woman ambulance pilot saving lives and driving change
Meet Nancy Katnoria, the 22-year-old from Hamirpur, who became the first woman in Himachal to pilot the 102-ambulance, an emergency response service for pregnant women, newborn babies and their mothers under Janani Sishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK). She is also the country’s second woman to don this hat.
Her passion for driving brought her into a profession only a few have taken. Meet Nancy Katnoria, the 22-year-old from Hamirpur, who became the first woman in Himachal to pilot the 102-ambulance, an emergency response service for pregnant women, newborn babies and their mothers under Janani Sishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK). She is also the country’s second woman to don this hat.
Last October, Tamil Nadu’s M Veeralakshmi had become the first woman in India to pilot the 108 ambulance.
For Nancy, driving has always been a passion. In Class-7, she surprised everyone by confidently driving a motorcycle. After finishing school, she learnt to drive a car.
Two years ago, she acquired the heavy motor vehicle licence and enrolled herself in Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC)’s driving school. There she drove a bus for two months, mostly on routes close to home.
So how did she switch to an ambulance? “By chance,” she says. “There was a vacancy, I applied and got selected,” says the 22-year-old while adding that it gives her great satisfaction to know that she can use her skills to save precious lives.
Nancy says that people do get surprised on seeing a woman ambulance driver, some even tell her it is a man’s job, but she doesn’t care. “I focus on my job. My parents and colleagues are supportive and I never faced any trouble in settling into the job,” she says.
Her message for women: “Parent’s or husband’s name should not be the only measure of your identity. Build the courage to forge your own path so that someday, people know you by your name. Nothing is impossible and if you are determined, even impossible becomes possible.”
