CHENNAI:Such things are quite rare these days, but an auto rickshaw driver from Chennai has made all heads turn by saving the life of a passenger from West Bengal. K Ravichandran (48) who was taking a passenger from West Bengal in his auto mortgaged his own vehicle to meet the medical expenses after his passenger suffered a cardiac arrest midway.The incident happened a few months ago.
“It must be a couple of months ago. A passenger, aged about 57 years boarded my vehicle from Ramapuram to go to a mansion in Triplicane. When we were moving along Mount road, I heard and saw him wailing in pain, holding his chest. I took him to a nearby clinic,” the auto driver recalled.
The passenger was referred to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital where doctors said the patient required immediate attention. Though the passenger’s son arrived from Kolkata that night, Ravichandran talked with the Dean and reduced the fee to Rs 47,000. “The passenger’s son had only Rs 15,000. I decided to pledge my autorickshaw and managed to pay the balance,” he said.
Last week, Ravichandran was rewarded by the Anna Auto Welfare Trust, for playing a good Samaritan.