Coimbatore: In a rare humane act of going out of the way to save an infant that was battling for life and dispelling the reputation of unnecessary reckless driving or a laid back approach to emergencies, a group of ambulance drivers transported the critically ill infant from the Theni Government Hospital to the Masonic Medical Centre for Children, in Coimbatore (240 km) in a record time of just 2 hours and 55 minutes. The normal driving duration for the same distance would be a minimum of 5 hours.
Coimbatore: In a rare humane act of going out of the way to save an infant that was battling for life and dispelling the reputation of unnecessary reckless driving or a laid back approach to emergencies, a group of ambulance drivers transported the critically ill infant from the Theni Government Hospital to the Masonic Medical Centre for Children, in Coimbatore (240 km) in a record time of just 2 hours and 55 minutes. The normal driving duration for the same distance would be a minimum of 5 hours.
Anandasamy and his wife Aarthi who are residents of Malumichampatti, Coimbatore had to admit their infant at the Theni Government Hospital due to asphyxia. The doctors who examined the infant confirmed that it was suffering from airway obstruction and since there was a lack of adequate treatment facilities at the Theni Government Hospital, it was decided to shift the infant to a private hospital in Coimbatore. But hospital authorities mentioned to the parents that transporting the infant would be a risky proposition since it would take over five hours to travel from Theni to Coimbatore. The doctors also reiterated that the infant will be in need of an ambulance with the incubator facility, and that the infant needed to be taken to the private hospital in Coimbatore in the shortest period of time.
On the night of July 30, a message was being circulated on WhatsApp groups, seeking help to save the infant which was fighting for its life. On receiving the message, Sathish Kumar, a driver working for the Durai Trust Ambulance offered to help the infant. He then arranged an ambulance through his other friends who were ambulance drivers from Kerala for an affordable rate. Accordingly, the ambulance left the Theni Government Hospital on July 31, at 3.15 pm.
Similarly, safety arrangements were underway with a network of ambulance drivers, taxi drivers and motorists to ensure that traffic was cleared for the ambulance. All these arrangements were reportedly made through the WhatsApp group. This information has reportedly brought together all the ambulance drivers of Theni, Dindigul, Tirupur and Coimbatore.
The general public were also alerted through loudspeakers about the ambulance carrying the infant that was battling for life and the importance of having to reach the hospital within the stipulated time. While Ambulance drivers toiled hard to clear the way from Theni to Coimbatore, the ambulance with the infant which was travelling from Sembati to Ottanchathiram had the help of a private vehicle ahead of it to keep alerting the public. Another ambulance travelled ahead in the traffic-congested Otanchathiram area for about a 10 km stretch. Subsequently, from Dharapuram to Palladam, the Patrol Police and ambulances assisted in the journey being uninterrupted. Later, another ambulance was taken from the Palladam area to Karanampettai. The highway patrol police helped in the the journey from Karanampettai to the Masonic Medical Center for Children, Racecourse in Coimbatore. The ambulance reached the hospital at around 6.10 pm.
The Ambulance driver Jafar Ali reportedly was able to transport the infant in 2 hours and 55 minutes covering a distance of around 240 km, which is considered as a superhuman effort. On arrival, a team of doctors immediately rushed the infant to the emergency ward and quickly administered emergency care which helped revive the infant who is now said to be recuperating well under the care of experts. Overwhelmed by gratitude, the parents of the child expressed their gratitude to Sathish Kumar and the ambulance drivers who had organized the ambulance journey without a hitch to get the infant to Coimbatore in record time. Various Ambulance drivers and tourist taxi drivers from the districts of Theni, Dindigul, Tirupur and Coimbatore who worked hard to transport the infant safely and quickly from Theni to Coimbatore were lauded by one and all.
Sathish Kumar, the ambulance driver who had spearheaded the entire rescue operation, in an exclusive interview with the Simplicity News team said, "It is a collective effort of every one involved that we have succeeded in bringing the baby from Theni to Coimbatore. With the cooperation of drivers, police and civilians, the infant was safely hospitalized in 2 hours and 55 minutes. We are happy to know that the infant has been given immediate treatment and is recovering well under the good care of the hospital."
Anandasamy and his wife Aarthi who are residents of Malumichampatti, Coimbatore had to admit their infant at the Theni Government Hospital due to asphyxia. The doctors who examined the infant confirmed that it was suffering from airway obstruction and since there was a lack of adequate treatment facilities at the Theni Government Hospital, it was decided to shift the infant to a private hospital in Coimbatore. But hospital authorities mentioned to the parents that transporting the infant would be a risky proposition since it would take over five hours to travel from Theni to Coimbatore. The doctors also reiterated that the infant will be in need of an ambulance with the incubator facility, and that the infant needed to be taken to the private hospital in Coimbatore in the shortest period of time.
On the night of July 30, a message was being circulated on WhatsApp groups, seeking help to save the infant which was fighting for its life. On receiving the message, Sathish Kumar, a driver working for the Durai Trust Ambulance offered to help the infant. He then arranged an ambulance through his other friends who were ambulance drivers from Kerala for an affordable rate. Accordingly, the ambulance left the Theni Government Hospital on July 31, at 3.15 pm.
Similarly, safety arrangements were underway with a network of ambulance drivers, taxi drivers and motorists to ensure that traffic was cleared for the ambulance. All these arrangements were reportedly made through the WhatsApp group. This information has reportedly brought together all the ambulance drivers of Theni, Dindigul, Tirupur and Coimbatore.
The general public were also alerted through loudspeakers about the ambulance carrying the infant that was battling for life and the importance of having to reach the hospital within the stipulated time. While Ambulance drivers toiled hard to clear the way from Theni to Coimbatore, the ambulance with the infant which was travelling from Sembati to Ottanchathiram had the help of a private vehicle ahead of it to keep alerting the public. Another ambulance travelled ahead in the traffic-congested Otanchathiram area for about a 10 km stretch. Subsequently, from Dharapuram to Palladam, the Patrol Police and ambulances assisted in the journey being uninterrupted. Later, another ambulance was taken from the Palladam area to Karanampettai. The highway patrol police helped in the the journey from Karanampettai to the Masonic Medical Center for Children, Racecourse in Coimbatore. The ambulance reached the hospital at around 6.10 pm.
The Ambulance driver Jafar Ali reportedly was able to transport the infant in 2 hours and 55 minutes covering a distance of around 240 km, which is considered as a superhuman effort. On arrival, a team of doctors immediately rushed the infant to the emergency ward and quickly administered emergency care which helped revive the infant who is now said to be recuperating well under the care of experts. Overwhelmed by gratitude, the parents of the child expressed their gratitude to Sathish Kumar and the ambulance drivers who had organized the ambulance journey without a hitch to get the infant to Coimbatore in record time. Various Ambulance drivers and tourist taxi drivers from the districts of Theni, Dindigul, Tirupur and Coimbatore who worked hard to transport the infant safely and quickly from Theni to Coimbatore were lauded by one and all.
Sathish Kumar, the ambulance driver who had spearheaded the entire rescue operation, in an exclusive interview with the Simplicity News team said, "It is a collective effort of every one involved that we have succeeded in bringing the baby from Theni to Coimbatore. With the cooperation of drivers, police and civilians, the infant was safely hospitalized in 2 hours and 55 minutes. We are happy to know that the infant has been given immediate treatment and is recovering well under the good care of the hospital."