TENKASI: A TNSTC crew — driver V Arumugasamy and conductor K Esakki alias Kuttisamy.-- were appreciated by the public and higher officials of TNSTC for their timely efforts to help a 69-year-old passenger who reported chest pain during the trip by taking him to a government hospital for treatment on time on Wednesday.
According to sources, the incident happened near Athiyoothu when the government bus was plying between Tenkasi and Tirunelveli. The passenger, Sahul Hameed, reported chest pain to fellow passengers. While the passengers called a 108 ambulance to send Hameed to a hospital, his condition worsened. Also, as the ambulance had to reach the spot from Tenkasi, located about 20-km away from Athiyoothu, the driver V Arumugasamy and conductor K Esakki alias Kuttisamy with the consent of passengers drove the bus to the Alangulam GH, five km away from Athiyoothu.”
Sources added that the elderly man was saved on time after reaching the GH. He was later sent to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital for tertiary care," they further said.
When contacted by TNIE, the bus driver V Arumugasamy said he informed the relatives of Hameed over the phone after admitting him to the hospital.
"The documents that Hameed possessed with him indicated that he was a heart patient. The bus got delayed about 50 minutes due to this incident. The GH is also located inside the town, not on the roadside. However, none of the passengers opposed our decision to admit Hameed to the GH," he added.