Women’s Day 2022: Deepamol Breaks Glass Ceiling, Becomes Kerala’s First Woman Ambulance Driver

Kottayam: On the occasion of International Women’s Day on Tuesday, Kottayam resident P G Deepamol is all set to start a rather historic stint as Kerala’s first woman driver. Breaking the glass ceiling, 42-year-old Deepamol will become the first woman driver with the health department’s ambulance service and hold the wheels of one of the ‘KANIV-108’ ambulances. She will receive the keys for the ambulance from health minister Veena George at a function scheduled at Thiruvananthapuram today.

“This is a huge boost to the confidence of women in Kerala that they can do any job. Deepamol expressed her willingness to become the driver of an ambulance. This idea was taken forward by the CPI(M) government and she ended up becoming teh state’s first woman ambulance driver,” said George.

A lifelong passion for driving and an eagerness to use it to save lives made her choose this profession. Deepamol received a driving licence in 2008 and got a licence to drive heavy vehicles in 2009, including tipper lorries besides driving a taxi. She also runs a small driving school. In 2021, she rode on her two-wheeler from Kottayam to Ladakh in 16 days, besides winning an off-road driving contest held at Thrissur. When her husband, Mohanan, was down with illness, she supported the family by taking up driving as a profession.

Deepamol has cleared all the driving tests required to drive an ambulance and will be deployed in Kottayam.

“Women shouldn’t confine themselves to the kitchen, rather come to the forefront by using the skills they have. We should have the will to take up any job to gain financial independence,” Deepamol said.