A doctor in Bengaluru who abandoned his car after it became stuck in traffic and ran three kilometres to perform an emergency surgery has become the toast of the Internet.
Dr. Govind Nandakumar, a gastroenterology surgeon at Manipal Hospitals in Bengaluru, was driving to perform a laparoscopic gallbladder surgery on August 30 when he became stuck in traffic on the Sarjapur-Marathalli stretch.
He realised the delay could put his patient in danger, and so he left his car behind and ran the remaining distance in 45 minutes to perform the crucial surgery. On normal days, that distance would have taken him about ten minutes by car.
“I had to reach Manipal Hospital in Sarjapur from Cunningham Road. Due to heavy rains and waterlogging, there was a traffic pile up a few kilometers ahead of the hospital.” Dr Nandakumar stated.
Traffic and waterlogging are two words that would immediately make any Bengaluru resident realize that he made an excellent decision in leaving his vehicle behind and making a dash for it. That week was particularly bad, with heavy rains inundating much of the tech city.
Dr. Nandakumar was aware that there were other patients awaiting surgery on the same day as the female patient who needed an emergency gall bladder procedure.
As soon as the doctor arrived at the hospital, his team got to work, and the surgery went off without a hitch. The patient was discharged on time.
For the past 18 years, Nandakumar has been performing critical surgeries and has completed over 1,000 successful procedures. He specialises in digestive surgery.
