CHENNAI: Surat-based Dr Sanket Mehta, who risked his life to intubate a COVID-19 patient, is "fine" and has booked his plane tickets to fly back home from here on November 1 after being hospitalised for over 90 days for treatment of the deadly infection.
Mehta, who had tested positive for the virus, shot to fame when he removed his oxygen support to help another elderly COVID patient despite being in 'critical condition' at a hospital in Surat where he was treated for 45 days.
He was airlifted to Chennai on September 13 since his health condition worsened but now it has improved and he is breathing normally, doctors treating him at MGM Healthcare said on Tuesday.
MGM Healthcare clinical director and consultant, Apar Jindal said he was brought in with lungs heavily damaged by COVID-19.
"Since beginning his treatment here, his lungs have shown remarkable improvement and he is now breathing naturally. We are glad to have nursed a hero and a Corona warrior like Dr Mehta back to good health," he said.
When reporters sought to know how he was, Mehta, who was seen sitting in his bed during the press conference, showed the 'thumbs up' sign and said "I am fine" in a feeble voice.
Asked what inspired him to remove his oxygen support to extend support to the elderly patient, he said, "it is (the) duty of a doctor (to save a patient's life)."
"Mehta was airlifted and was in a condition that he could not even move his fingers," MGM Healthcare Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant Co-Director Suresh Rao said.
Rao, who also heads the hospital's Cardiac Critical Care unit, said Mehta was put on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (heart lung assistance) for 34 days and since his condition gradually improved, he was taken off ECMO support.
"He is very much interested to resume normal life and wants to go back. He has booked his plane tickets on November 1 (to go back to Surat)," he said.
MGM Health Care Cardiac Sciences Chairman K R Balakrishnan said Bronchoscopy was done to clear the lungs and after 15 days of rigorous treatment, there was 'steady improvement' in his condition.
"Then we started physiotherapy. In the next couple of weeks he will be leading a normal life," he said.
Asked about what precautionary measures he needs to take post recovery, Balakrishnan said Mehta has to follow essential procedures like wearing masks and maintaining social distancing for next couple of months.