COIMBATORE: A heavy metal ring, which was stuck on a 40-year-old tribal man’s little finger, was removed with help from fire safety personnel at the Sulthan Bathery fire station, near Kerala’s Wayanad.
Gopal, a resident of Kurumbarpadi tribal hamlet near Masinagudi in Nilgiris, wore metal rings on all his fingers. As the rings became tighter, locals helped him remove them. However, the ring on his little finger was stuck, causing his finger to swell due to restricted blood circulation.
On Friday, drivers from the Nilgiris Motor Drivers Union (NMDU) took him to Gudalur government hospital, where he was examined and referred to Ooty Medical College Hospital for surgery. The doctors said surgery was the only option to remove the ring. Since he had no one to care for him, he was taken to Gudalur fire and rescue station.
"The team tried their best and suggested that we go to Sultan Bathery fire and rescue station in Kerala, about 75 kilometres from Masinagudi. The union provided travel support, and we informed them of our arrival. The fire and rescue team asked us to hurry as one of their staff who was skilled in handling such cases was about to go on leave. Thankfully, they waited for us," said P Arumugam, a driver who assisted Gopal.
Using a small steel cutter, the team completed the task within 30 minutes. After the ring was removed, Gopal took a sigh of relief. We thank the fire and rescue team at Sultan Bathery, Arumugam added.
Station officer Sarath PK and senior fire and rescue officer Vinu TK from Sultan Bathery fire station helped with the removal.
"It was a risky task as the steel cutter could accidentally cut the finger if we weren't careful. We were mindful of the man's pain and the swelling. While cutting the ring, we strived to protect the finger and sprayed water to avoid heat. We had conducted several similar operations over the past year, successfully removing rings in nine cases from Nilgiris district," said Keerthick Kumar, a staff member.
According to locals, these procedures can be carried out with proper training and costs around Rs 5,000. However, due to a lack of training within the Tamil Nadu fire service to handle such situations, they often seek assistance from Kerala.