CHENNAI: Two years ago when 35-year-old Karthik heard about a head constable shifting next door, little did he know that the policeman would turn a saviour for his daughter.
Nandambakkam head constable P Senthil Kumar and police inspector M Thangaraj arranged Rs 5 lakh for the open heart surgery of a girl in a private hospital.
Karthik, a resident of Guduvanchery, stays with his wife Priyanka and 5-year-old daughter Kavishka. Karthik works as a salesman in an electronic Chennai but has been workless ever since the lockdown was imposed.
Kavishka, who was born with a block in the heart had gone through three angiograms already and has been on medication since birth.
Senthil Kumar moved to a house in Guduvanchery two years ago and came to know about Karthik and his family.
“Just before the lockdown, in February, the doctors had advised Karthik that his girl child should go for an angiogram, but I heard
that he was planning to postpone it since he did not have the money. My wife and I convinced Karthik to go for the angiogram and donated Rs 30,000,” said P Senthil Kumar, who is a writer at the Nandambakkam police station.
Owing the girls deteriorating health, Karthik had taken her to a local clinic where the doctor suggested that she must go through an open-heart surgery.
“Karthik was hesitant initially since he thought he was burdening us and did not ask us. I heard it through our neighbours and informed inspector Thangaraj. He told me that we should help the kid and there is a well established private hospital in our station jurisdiction,” said Senthil Kumar.
The duo spoke to the hospital authorities and collected Rs 45,000 from all the personnel in the station, Rs 1.25 lakh through a government welfare scheme, and another Rs 3 lakh through other sponsors.
Kavishka was admitted one month ago for the surgery, which lasted for seven hours, and was in ICU for 15 days and another 15 days in general ward. She was discharged on Saturday night. The entire strength of the police station visited the girl within the last month and offered help.
Speaking to The New India Express, Karthik, said, “I have had some very bad experiences with police personnel when I was young. I never thought a man in khaki would actually save my child.”