JHARGRAM: Wearing PPE, a TMC leader in West Bengal's Jhargram district carried a man having COVID-like symptoms on a bike to the hospital after his family failed to arrange an ambulance.
Satyakam Patnaik, the president of the TMC's youth wing in Gopiballavpur, said on Wednesday that he got to know from his party's workers that Amal Barik (43), a migrant worker who recently returned to his village, was having a high fever over the last five-six days.
However, the family could not arrange for an ambulance or a vehicle to take him to the hospital.
Also, no one was coming forward to help the family, suspecting him to be infected by the coronavirus.
"After getting to know about it, I was only thinking that how can we let a person suffer like this. I asked two- three party workers to arrange a bike and rushed to a pharmacy and bought the PPE. Then I went to his house in Sijua village on Monday," Patnaik said.
"Barik's wife and his two children were tensed about his condition. His wife repeatedly pleaded to go to the hospital with him. However, I convinced her and took him to the Gopiballavpur Superspeciality Hospital on the bike," he added.
The doctors there examined Barik, prescribed some medicines and asked him to stay at home.
Patnaik then reached Barik to his home, about 3 km away from the hospital.
A video of Patnaik, riding the bike wearing a PPE, and carrying Barik to the hospital has gone viral on social media.
"I want to stand with the people amid this pandemic. I have ordered four more personal protective equipment (PPE), in case I need it again," Patnaik said.
Former Lok Sabha member from Jhargram and TMC spokesperson Uma Soren said the party's youth workers are always ready to help the people.
"In case of any need, people should reach out to us and we will be there with them," she said.