This lockdown is one of the worst we have ever seen, and many people require help at this time. Especially, pregnant women who are due. It is difficult for them to find the right transport at this time, and Leo Akashraj is their guardian angel.
An engineer who stays in Avadi runs an NGO named Pretty Lil Hearts, and he is working hard, around the clock to help in transport.
Tell us more about this initiative.
We have been working on this for the past year. We were assisting needy women, HIV Positive women and differently-abled women who are all pregnant. For example, If we take over, say, in their third month, we would take care of all their needs from medical to transportation. However, during this lockdown, we currently put a hold to everything and is working only on free transportation for the women who are due.
Who is helping you with this, and the areas you operate?
Of course, it would be different for us alone to do this. M Auto Mobility Services and my friend Benny Daniel are also part of this initiative, and we are currently covering whole Chennai, Salem, and we began our services in Madurai now.
Do you face issues with the public?
Well, not much. At times, they don’t get it that we are doing this for free and they would consider us as a normal taxi. Also, since we don’t have many vehicles, people don’t understand that waiting time is crucial.
How many requests do you take on a day?
On average, we take five requests per day. So far, we have taken up to nine requests on a day.
How friendly are the police?
They have a few norms and they follow the same. So, we take the patient along with only one attendant in the car. The Police do their normal checkup. Since it’s emergency and we have proper permission, other documents, they are friendly as well.
Once there was a long queue as the police were checking the vehicles. When they saw us, they cleared the way for us.
Do you take other emergency requests?
We normally prioritize pregnancy women who are due. At times, when we don’t get many requests, we do take other, less emergency requests as well but it is rare.
So far, how many people you have helped during this lockdown?
In this past 20-25 days, we helped more than 60 people reach the hospital in time and more than 35 people have already given birth and are doing good.
He signs off.
Helpline Number: 9600432255
