Chennai: Amid lockdown, constable helps hospitalise sick six-month-old

CHENNAI: A 60-year-old construction worker worried sick over his infant grandson found his saviou'r in the form of constable N Abirami on Sunday.
Abirami, 36, a grade one constable at the Chromepet police station, was surprised when Sathish of East Tambaram’s Nethaji Nagar came running to the station in the early hours of Sunday, while the night curfew was in force, with his six-month-old grandson, Saiputhran, in his arms.
Earlier that night, the infant suddenly developed breathing difficulties putting his grandparents and mother in a state of panic. They first rushed him to a nearby private hospital from where they were redirected to the Chromepet government hospital.
The child was given first aid, but since there was no pediatrician available at the time, Sathish was asked to take the child elsewhere as his health condition grew critical, the construction worker said. He alleged that one of the nurses refused to help them get ‘108’ ambulances.
Helpless and worried, Sathish turned to the nearest police station, hoping for help from the people in khaki. There were no autorickshaws around due to the curfew so he walked to the station carrying his grandson.
Abirami, who was on night duty, thought Sathish and his family ran over to the station to report some crime, until she saw the child in his arms. “I realised that the child needed immediate medical help. (It was obvious) he was finding it difficult to breathe. The elderly couple too were unable to express what happened to the child. All they wanted was my help to get an ambulance,” Abirami told TOI. “We had to act immediately. I got an ambulance and convinced the driver to reach the spot as soon as he could and explained the emergency. He too cooperated. I am happy I could help a member of the public and reinstill faith in the force.”
The child was rushed to the Institute of Child Health in Egmore and is being treated by doctors in the ICU.