Manipur woman auto driver feted for ferrying recovered COVID-19 patient

Laibi Oinam, a woman auto driver, was awarded by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh for ferrying a person who had recovered from COVID-19 at a hospital in Imphal to Kamjong district. CM Biren handed over a cash award of Rs 1,10,000 which was sponsored by some entrepreneurs of the state and by Manipuri expatriates as an appreciation of Oinam's humane act and service.

Imphal:Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh Thursday awarded a woman auto driver for ferrying a person who had recovered from COVID-19 in a hospital here to Kamjong district, over 100 km away.

The ambulance service of the state-run Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal, where the woman patient was being treated, had refused to take her home as she hailed from another district, a release by the department of information and public relations said.

Laibi Oinam volunteered to drop the recovered patient, who had returned from Kolkata, and drove for eight long hours during the intervening night of May 31 and June 1 here to reach the destination in a village in the far-flung hilly district.

The chief minister handed over a cash award of Rs 1,10,000 to Oinam, the release said. The award was sponsored by some entrepreneurs of the state and by Manipuri expatriates as an appreciation of Oinam's humane act and service.

Oinam, who is a mother of two sons, is the sole the breadwinner of her family. A documentary film based on her life entitled 'Auto Driver' had won many accolades including best social issue film in the non-feature category at the 63rd National Film Awards in 2015 and Best Short Documentary in the Audience Choice category at the 2017 Women's Voices Now Film Festival.

(PTI Report)