In the midst of Diwali and Gujarati New Year celebrations, there are unsung heroes who go above and beyond the call of duty to help those in need.
The list of such authorities and officials is long, but Mirror profiles a few who stand out: AMC, police department, traffic police, GVK EMRI 108 ambulance service, healthcare professionals in private and government hospitals.
♦ Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation
Ahmedabad will stop functioning if the AMC safai kamdars don’t perform their duty of collecting tonnes of garbage daily. Deputy Director of SWM department Himanshu Patel said, “There are 11,000 sweepers of which 8,000 to 9,000 are on daily service to keep the city clean. There are no special leaves, only rotational weekly offs and sick leaves.”
To ensure the citizens celebrate all festivals like Diwali by remaining in good health and in a hygienic environment, many in the AMC like the solid waste management department work without a break. We are proud of each and every employee.
–Mukesh Kumar, Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner
♦ Ahmedabad police
When a person joins the police force, he or she takes an oath to serve the people come what may. Initially, it is tough to work when the whole world is celebrating, but with time cops get used to it. We too celebrate once the festivities are over –Sanjay Srivastava, Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad
♦ Ahmedabad civil hospital
Casualty Medical Officer at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Dr Hemangini Swaminarayan said, “In 33 years of my service, I have seen thousands of lives being saved just because the needy got the treatment on time. When we became doctors, we took an oath to serve the public under any circumstances. Even my husband, daughter and son are doctors. Working during festivals is a routine thing for us.”
In our profession, everyone’s aware of the need to work even during holidays and festivals. And they have been trained for it. No caste, creed or religion matters to healthcare
professionals. Service to the patients is our only religion.
Dr Rakesh Joshi,
Medical Superintendent, Ahmedabad Civil Hospital
♦ Traffic Police Department
ASI (traffic) Paresh Kapadia said, “Like many other colleagues of mine, I am also working during the Diwali week and after. It has been 31 years in the service and we don’t mind working during festivals. It gives us satisfaction to perform our duty and help people wherever we can.”
He added, “It feels good when citizens come to us and wish us on New Year while praising our work. Our families also understand the importance of our work and
support us.”
There are 4,000 traffic personnel of which 2,200 are traffic cops and 1,800 are TRB and home guards. At any given point, there are 3,800 personnel daily on the job. Along with the festive rush, they also manage VVIP movements without complaining. To keep them motivated, senior officials meet and greet them.
Tejas Patel,
DCP Traffic
♦ She Team, Ahmedabad Police
Chandra Baraiya, a 25-year Woman Lok Rakshak, said, “Our patrolling increases during festivals to ensure safety of women, children and elderly. Thanks to my husband, who takes care of our two-year-old son, I can do my job.”
She added, “The joy of helping people is beyond words, particularly when we trace missing children, parents during the shopping rush.”
We are in the service of people and our celebration lies in their safety and happiness. All the police personnel take pride in their job and are always ready to work. We ensure even our personnel can be together with their dear ones by implementing shifts. During this time, every life saved is like a blessing to us.
Ajaykumar Chaudhary,
JCP, Ahmedabad
♦ Private Hospitals
There are more than 500 private hospitals and nursing homes in Ahmedabad. Healthcare being an essential service, almost the entire staff is on job irrespective of the festivals.
Kailas Vaghela, a Head Nurse of DHS hospital, has chosen to work on Diwali, New Year and Bhai Beej. Talking to Mirror, she said, “I too have a family at home but being the head of the nursing staff I don’t want to set a poor precedent by taking leave. Therefore, we will be working and celebrating the festival in the hospital with our colleagues and patients.”
Kailas is a kind-hearted person who always takes care of everyone in the staff besides the patients. Her positive approach also helps the team to stay motivated. This ensures even patients recover quickly.
Dr Swagat Shah,
MD of DHS Hospital