Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan Stops Convoy To Save Accident Victim

Ernakulam: Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan won praise for stopping his convoy to help an accident victim on the Container Terminal Road. The incident occurred when two motorcycles collided on the Kothad-Moolampilly bridge. A youth from Mulavukad was found bleeding and lying unconscious on the road as the Chief Minister’s convoy passed after a programme at Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam.Satheesan immediately stopped the convoy and, finding no ambulance readily available, directed his security personnel to place the injured man in the pilot vehicle. He reportedly told his security team that he could travel without the escort vehicle and instructed them to accompany the victim to hospital. The youth was subsequently taken to a private hospital in Ernakulam."I don't need any escort vehicles, I will travel alone," the Kerala CM was heard urging his gunman and other security personnel and left the accident spot only after interacting with local residents to understand how the accident happened. But the intervention has also drawn criticism from doctor and public-health commentator Dr Manoj Vellanad, who questioned the way the injured man was shifted to hospital.While appreciating the Chief Minister’s decision to intervene, Dr Manoj Vellanad, senior neuro surgeon with a Thiruvananthapuram city based private hospital said the method of shifting the victim shown in a video was medically unsafe.According to him, an accident victim, particularly one who is unconscious, should be handled according to trauma-care protocols because of the possibility of spinal, neck and internal injuries. Moving such a patient without proper immobilisation, he said, could potentially worsen spinal injuries, obstruct the airway or aggravate internal bleeding.Dr Manoj Vellanad said trained rescuers should ideally use appropriate immobilisation, including a cervical collar and spine board, with coordinated movement such as a log-roll technique. He also stressed the importance of a properly equipped ambulance capable of providing oxygen, suction and other emergency support. He said the Chief Minister’s intention to save the victim was commendable, but stressed that quick action must also be medically safe.“Scientific rescue is really a basic thing that everyone should know,” Dr Vellanad said, urging people to call an ambulance whenever possible and provide appropriate first aid until trained medical help arrives.Also readKeralam Club Footballer Rijon Jose Dies In Road Accident In KozhikodeFlash Floods, Landslides Claim 9 Lives In Keralam Amid Heavy Rains