Meet Kerala’s First Female Driver, Deepa Joseph, Who Returned to Duty After Her Daughter’s Death to Assist in Wayanad Landslides

Kerala's first female ambulance driver is back on duty! Deepa Joesph's commitment to helping and saving people during Wayanad Landslides is truly commendable.

Deepa Joseph, who is the first female ambulance driver in Kerala, is currently being admired for her bit in the devasting Wayanad landslides. Her ambulance was a constant presence on the road, helping the injured and saving the victims from the disaster zone. She has been selflessly working to help those affected by the landslides. Her presence and commitment to her duty is indeed commendable.

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While speaking to a news portal, Deepa revealed that she couldn’t control her tears as she recounted the horrible scenes she witnessed in the temporary morgue at Meppadi and while transporting the body parts of victims. “For one or two days, we saw people who were not ready to believe that their beloved people were dead. But in the days that followed, the same people came to the morgue, praying that the bodies recovered should be those of their dear ones,” Deepa told PTI.

Deepa Joseph, Kerala’s First Female Ambulance Driver

During pandemic, Deepa Joseph lost her job as a college bus driver. Then, she started working as an ambulance driver, becoming of the first women from Kerala in the profession. She told ANI in 2020, “Not many jobs were available due to the pandemic. I took up this job because I was facing a financial crisis.”

Joseph’s decision to step into the service was crucial especially during the pandemic. Her ability to adapt challenging situations made her a well-known face among the frontline workers and volunteers, who tried to safeguard lives during lockdown.

Deepa Joseph Lost Her Daughter But That Didn’t Stop Her From Doing Community Service in Wayanad Landslides

Later, she took some time off from her profession due to a personal tragedy; she was suffering from depression after losing her teenage daughter to blood cancer. However, as the landslides in Wayanad erupted, leaving several others injured, she decided to help people once again.

Deepa couldn’t bear the heartbreaking scenes during the disastrous landslides. She spoke to a news portal, “I have been working as an ambulance driver for over four-and-a-half years. I have taken bodies that are several days old and highly decomposed. But in Wayanad, the relatives had to identify the bodies just by looking at a severed finger or a severed limb. It was more than what it could take.”

These experiences deeply impacted her, yet she remains steadfast in her mission to assist. “I am not working now but I want to get back to driving ambulances soon.”