Rajyotsava awardee buys ambulance with cash award to help accident victims

Mangaluru: District In-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday flagged off an ambulance sponsored by Rajyotsava awardee Charmadi Hasanabba.

Hasanabba said that the ambulance is procured from the cash reward which he won along with Rajyotsava award by the State government. The ambulance will be used for emergency purposes on the Charmadi Ghat stretch of the national highway.

He said that the ambulance service will be free and will be managed by his family trust. “It was my dream to park an ambulance at the Charmadi Ghat in service of accident victims on the Ghat section. It will be driven by me or my son. I have not handed over the ambulance for fame. I wanted to flag it off in the district headquarters, to inspire others to donate ambulances for the benefit of people."

He added, “I had received Rs 5 lakh cash award as part of the Rajyotsava award from the State. I availed Rs 3 lakh loan from bank through my family trust to purchase the ambulance. I will not charge anything from patients. If the patient’s family offers fuel expenses, I will accept it."

“On receiving the award, many had advised me to put it for my personal use. But my children asked me to utilise it to fulfill my dream,” Hasanabba said.

Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said, “The flagging off of the ambulance has given me a sense of satisfaction that the government had chosen a right person for the Rajyotsava award.”