PUDUCHERRY: Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a man who established a free ambulance service is ferrying patients, particularly pregnant women and the elderly, from rural areas to tertiary care hospitals in the town.
The 34-year-old Manikandan from Ramanathupuram village has taken over 20 people to hospitals, including six pregnant women for delivery, from the rural areas of Sellipet, Thondamanatham, Koodapakkam, Arasur, Villianur and Sulthanpet during the lockdown period.
Manikandan is available even at odd hours. On April 14, a pregnant woman developed labour pain at 12.30 a.m. On receipt of a call, he took the woman to JIPMER, where at 3.30 a.m, she delivered a girl child. He also brings back patients to their homes after delivery or recovery.
The 108 ambulance is unavailable at most times while there is a long delay before govt ambulances reach, he says, adding that most villagers cannot afford private services.
A diploma holder in Electronics and Communication, Manikandan started the free service in 2016 after losing his younger brother in an accident as no ambulance was available to take him to hospital.
Named Kalam Trust Ambulance, his two ambulances are stationed at Pattukannu junction and Villianur pass road in order to reach the rural areas quickly.
“Last week I took an elderly man who fell down and developed a clot on his head to JIPMER. After surgery he is recovering," said Manikandan. During the lockdown, he is also taking bodies for funerals as traditional carriages are not available while the hertz vans are out of reach of the villagers.
Kalam Trust Ambulance has become a great help for pregnant women, aged people and those injured in accidents in the area, says Villianur Traffic Police Inspector N Arumugham. “Most of the time, ambulance facilities are hardly available, so we call him whenever we have to take accident victims to hospital or even in law and order cases when the victim is badly hurt. He is doing a great humanitarian service," said the inspector.
Such is his service that police are providing him breakfast, lunch and dinner as he has been living in the ambulance for the past 24 days. “As I am regularly going to hospitals, I keep away from my home. I have six sets of clothing in the ambulance which I change after having a bath from the roadside tap,” he said.
Manikandan's cell number 8148263646 is known to police, schools, community heads and primary health centres and they have been reaching him, whenever required. In the last four years, around 670 patients have been transported by his ambulances.
His family still lives in a hut in Ramanathapuram but Manikandan says he is happy. "There is no purpose of life without doing any service," he signs off.