The Kerala Police turned lifesavers for Kollam-native Madhu Divakaran when a highway police team ensured his timely arrival at a hospital after he suffered a heart attack.
A post by Mr. Divakaran’s on Facebook in which he narrated his experience has won plaudits for the yeoman service that was rendered by the police in his time of need.
Recounting his ordeal that had taken place during the wee hours of December 28, the resident of Koottikkada described the difficulties that he and his family faced in seeking healthcare after he developed a severe chest pain at around 1 a.m. After attempts to alert autorickshaw drivers in the locality turned futile, Mr. Divakaran, who is employed in a gas godown as a loading worker, braved his pain to ride his two-wheeler to a nursing home where an electrocardiography (ECG) test detected an abnormal condition.
No ambulance
His hardship did not end there. A doctor’s attempts in seeking the services of a ‘108’ ambulance turned in vain, prompting the patient, his wife and son to walk for a short distance before they could hire an autorickshaw to head for the Kollam district hospital. With Mr. Divakaran’s condition getting worse as time went by, the autorickshaw driver stopped on seeing a highway police team which was stationed near the Thattamala school on the highway.
The police team, which comprised senior civil police officer K.J. Daniel and civil police officer Umesh Lawrence, lost no time in transferring the patient to the jeep and rushing to the hospital. . Mr. Divakaran was also provided first-aid in the vehicle until it reached their destination. After being subjected to emergency treatment, the patient was later referred to the Government Medical College Hospital here, where he recuperated to emerge out of critical condition.
