‘The 3 Idiots’ Relived: COVID-19 Patient Rushed To AIIMS-Bhubaneswar On Friend’s Two-Wheeler

Photo courtesy: The New Indian Express

Bhubaneswar: In what seemed to be straight out of Bollywood blockbuster ‘The 3 Idiots’, a Patrapada resident who tested positive for COVID-19 could not get an ambulance to go to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here, so he had to be taken on his friend’s scooter.

“He was in a terrible condition and could not stand for long. I called the ambulance but got no response so I decided to take him on my scooter,” his neighbour Bimalendu Pradhan was quoted as saying in Times Of India (TOI).

Pradhan said neither he nor his family had been tested for COVID despite being exposed to the patient. ” I tried calling 104 helpline but they diverted my call,” he told TOI.

Pratima Muduli, patient’s wife said she was in home quarantine with her son, daughter and aunt. “I have not been contacted by anyone as yet on what I should be doing now. Though none of us have any symptom, we are living in fear,” the TOI reported.

According to Pratima, her husband had visited Cuttack and other places in connection with his work. “He complained of fever and severe body ache on Wednesday. When his condition did not improve, we decided to go in for a COVID test. He tested positive on Monday,” TOI said.

BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Choudhary was quoted as saying in TOI that he was aware of the case. “The patient is being treated at AIIMS and we have begun contact tracing. The family and other contacts will be tested for the virus in five days,” he said.