A mist of dust covers the area, blanketing the scene of horror and misery, but it fails to muffle the sounds of agony and pain. It may be the site of a traffic accident, the aftermath of an earthquake or other natural disaster or sadly, and quite frequently, the carnage left behind by a terror attack.
At a time like this, things tend to dissolve into utter chaos, with people giving in to panic and confusion. But you will almost always find a group of men driving up in a white van, calmly making their way around the wounded bodies to answer their call of duty with bravery.
They are our ambulance drivers — our saviours. They are common people who play a major role in society by helping the afflicted in their hour of need. At times they risk their lives to save others, but rarely receive any appreciation for their services. So, with a job that needs such a high level of commitment and compassion, what keeps them motivated?
“The only motivation we need is saving human lives and serving humanity,” says 38-year-old Mohammad Anwar who has been working as an ambulance driver at the Edhi Foundation for the past 12 years. There are some people who come into this profession because it is their dream, and Anwar is one of them. His passion led him to this job where he earns satisfaction from helping people and doing the right thing.
The most difficult thing about his job? “Collecting body parts from an accident site; it is absolutely heart-wrenching”.
Unlike Anwar, there are some people in this profession who never even dreamt of driving an ambulance. For 55-year-old Asif Baba, becoming an ambulance driver was never a passion and his entrance into this line of work was a mere coincidence. The wrinkles on Baba’s face depict his untiring struggle to make both ends meet for a living. He grimly states, “Life is unpredictable and you never know what it holds for you.” He reminisces about his first experience driving an ambulance, “I felt very squeamish picking up the bodies soaked in blood, but I composed myself and discharged my duties.” He earns around Rs7,000 per month; not a large amount for a job where he is on duty for a continuous 24 hours every alternate day.
Unlike other countries, most ambulance services over here lack paramedic facilities and the latest equipment. Baba divulges that they are trained for only a week and their training mainly includes lifting the sick and wounded without causing any further injury. When on-duty they are always on standby because mishaps, e.g. road accidents or terror attacks can happen anytime. Anwar points out that theirs is a hazardous job, especially in cases of a bomb blast, fire, collapsing buildings, etc.; every morning when an ambulance driver leaves home for work, the thought crosses his mind that it may be his last day.
Baba reminisces about his first brush with violence when his ambulance was attacked by an angry mob; luckily he escaped unscathed. This threat of danger also takes its toll on the drivers’ families; however, for most drivers switching their job is not an option, either out of choice or because of lack of employment opportunities.
Philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi agrees that there are some ambulance drivers who leave their jobs because of the extreme risks associated with this profession. Yet there are some brave people who refuse to back down and even give their lives in the cause of duty, like 65-year-old Faizur Rehman. It was on May 12, 2007; a day when Karachi witnessed an unprecedented outburst of violence and mayhem. Faizur Rehman was on his routine duty, transporting the wounded and dead bodies to the hospitals, when miscreants stopped his ambulance and asked him to leave the injured. At his refusal to abandon the wounded, these miscreants sprayed the ambulance with bullets, killing him mercilessly.
“Despite risking their lives they are not awarded for their courage,” laments Anwar regarding the status of an ambulance driver in our country. “Even though it is a tough job, made tougher by the lack of facilities, we are not given due credit.” Anwar further complains that on the country’s national day, awards are given out to people belonging to all walks of life but ambulance drivers are not even considered by the government; not even a medal is awarded for their courage.
Having said that, both Anwar and Baba do not feel any regret about following this profession; it gives them immense pleasure to be part of an act where serving humanity is their prime objective. Whatever tense situations they have to go through they are happy and proud of their job. Baba reveals, “I did not come by choice but during my work I developed an urge to serve humanity. Lying down in bed after a busy day, one is content and sleeps peacefully, which makes up for all the uncertainties. Perhaps that is the best part of this job.”