Stuck in heavy traffic, Bangalore doctor runs 3 km to perform crucial surgery on time

Bengaluru: Bengaluru might be India's tech hub, but the city is also famous for its traffic. The long traffic snarls are a constant theme and residents continue to struggle on a daily basis to reach their destinations.

But the story of a doctor who took an unusual decision to save the life of his patient is proving to be an inspirational story.

Dr. Govind Nandakumar, a gastroenterology surgeon, was driving to Manipal Hospital, Sarjapur, to perform an emergency laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. When he was in the last stretch of his journey, he realized he was getting horribly late.

"The last stretch usually takes 10 mins. I was stuck in the traffic, getting nervous about being late. I checked Google Maps which showed that it will take another 45 minutes," he said.

Without thinking twice, he got down from the car and decided to cover the rest of the journey running on the Sarjapur-Marathahalli stretch. "I have a driver, so, I was able to leave the car behind. It was easy for me to run because I gym regularly. I ran three km to the hospital, and was in time for the surgery," he said.

However, this is not the first time he has faced such a situation. "I have had to make the journey on foot a few times in other areas of Bengaluru too, sometimes crossing railway lines. I was not anxious since our hospital has adequate staff and infrastructure to take good care of a patient. The situation may not be the same for small hospitals," he said.

"Even patients, and their families are anxiously waiting for the doctors. What if a patient in an ambulance is stuck in traffic? There was no space even for an ambulance to pass," he told.