CANACONA: Many celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in a grand way. But in a rare gesture, Fatima Rodrigues, a panch member of Agonda, instead of hosting a grand occasion for her fellow villagers, offered them a free ambulance.
“Instead of wasting money on a grand celebration that lasts only for a day, I thought it was better to offer this service which would provide service to my fellow villagers for years to come,” said Fatima, a former sarpanch, after offering a free ambulance to the villagers to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary on May 18, 2024.
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The ambulance, which cost around Rs 8 lakh, will be maintained entirely by her family and will be provided free for anybody who needs it.
“We have experienced that the free ambulance service provided by the government inevitably takes a very long time to arrive and that is the reason why my husband Carmelino and I thought of providing this ambulance to our villagers,” she said.
The ambulance can be used by anybody from Agonda village with priority given to the residents of Wai ward that she represents in the panchayat.
“Having been in public life for some time now, I thought it was best to do something through which people will remember me long after I am gone,” she said, while appreciating her husband and family’s support to this decision.
