‘We wanted to have tea… Army personnel told us to drive away due to heavy shelling'

Indian Express

2 days ago

It's a mission that will be etched in the mind and heart of Jagtar Singh forever. Jagtar, a driver in his early 40s, was an integral part of the PGIMER's dedicated transport team that rendered medical support on ground zero during Operation Sindoor.
Amid the recent war-like situation between India and Pakistan, a special humanitarian mission was carried out in the crisis-hit region of Jammu and Kashmir by the PGIMER, Chandigarh.
Traversing tough and unknown terrains and keeping tight schedules to ensure timely evacuation of the injured, getting those in need to hospitals, while shelling… Jagtar recalled how he drove from Chandigarh to Rajouri on the night of May 8, along with some more team members, carrying essential medical equipment for logistical coordination and supply chain continuity.
'We were then required to go to Poonch, which is more than 7 hours' drive, and we didn't know the way. The roads were narrow, and there was a complete blackout; we could not even switch on the headlights, and there was a complete atmosphere of fear. We drove through shelling, with a local guiding us through. But there was no thought, just the call of duty, and we began the journey,' Jagtar said.
With hardly any civilians and only hospital staff and Army personnel on the way, the driver remembered witnessing damaged buildings, cars, and a lot of tension.
'We would get calls from places where there were injured people, and we would drive to pick them up and take them to the hospitals. Many people had died too, and had to be shifted, with no time to waste, and the locals supporting us. Then the hospital got a frantic call from almost the zero point near the border, that a pregnant woman had started labour pains, and needed to be rushed to the local government hospital, and I remember that it was a very tense moment, and two lives had to be saved. We had the technician with us in the car, and all the needed medicines, bandages etc, and we finally managed to reach the woman, who, before we could get her to the hospital, delivered in the vehicle, with the medical staff making sure that the mother and the baby girl were both safe, and then got to the hospital for further care. We had to drive fast and safely, and it was almost 60 km.'
The moment was both special and precious for Jagtar, as he had a seven-year-old daughter, who was very tense that he was going to be away in such a situation and just kept asking him when he would be back.
The team was there for more than 15 days, and had to go to various places to help the injured with dressings and first aid.
'There was so much to learn from people, the selfless attitude of Army personnel, who would instruct us to be quiet, not switch on any lights. As there was no network, we had to depend on our instincts to guide us through this challenge,' said Jagtar.
The driver also praised all the senior officials of the PGIMER, who were 'constantly connected' through video calls, assuring the team that they were not alone.'
'There were many tense moments, so many shells fell near our car. One evening, we wanted to have tea and stopped on the road, and suddenly, the Army personnel told us to drive away due to heavy shelling. We were there when the ceasefire was announced, and suddenly the tension melted, and people started coming back.
'I started driving in 2004, and this was my first such experience. It was a proud moment when our team was honoured, and I got a medal from PGIMER Director Vivek Lal with words of appreciation. My family and my daughter were also so happy that we could save so many people,' smiled Jagtar as he reflected on the 15-day humanitarian mission.