Driver reaches Mangaluru in 40 minutes, saves man’s life

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Feb 9, 2020: An ambulance driver has successfully brought a 40-year-old patient, who suffered a massive heart attack, from Dharmasthala to KMC Hospital in Mangaluru in 40 minutes.

The distance between Mangaluru and Dharmasthala is nearly 75 km. The patient from Chikkaballapur, who was on his way to Dharmasthala, suffered stroke when the vehicle in which he was travelling by reached Sakleshpur on Saturday.

When he was taken to a private hospital in Ujire near Dharmasthala, the doctors suggested his family to shift him to a hospital in Mangaluru. The ambulance driver brought the patient to the hospital in record time and became a real saviour.

Interventional Cardiologist Dr Padmanabha Kamath, HoD, Cardiology Department, KMC Hospital, intervened and managed to open the artery and restore flow of blood. The condition of the patient is said to be stable.

According to Dr Kamath, “When a 40-year-old tourist from Chikkaballapur sustained a massive heart attack, somewhere near Sakleshpur, little did he knew that his life will take a different turn. When he reached Dharmasthala, the chest pain had increased and he visited the nearest hospital for treatment. He was advised to go to Mangaluru for further treatment.’’

"Patient had very low BP and his condition was extremely grave,” he said.

“At that time entered our real saviour Hameed, the ambulance driver. After premedication, he started his journey fully knowing the odds are against him.

The road to Mangaluru from Dharmasthala is not smooth owing to the double lane project work. In spite of it, he was able to reach Mangaluru under 40 minutes. When patient was being shifted to emergency his heart stopped due to fatal condition. Since the patient was within the emergency room, shock treatment was delivered and heart beating was restored. Later on, we intervened and managed to open the artery and restore flow,” he added. Dr Kamath and relatives of the patient felicitated Hameed after the
surgery.