Trinamool Congress leader takes man with COVID-19 symptoms to hospital on bike

Guwahati: A Trinamool Congress leader in West Bengal's Jhargram district wore PPE and carried a man having COVID-like symptoms on a bike to the hospital after the man's family was unable to arrange an ambulance.

Satyakam Patnaik, the president of the TMC's youth wing in Gopiballavpur, said on Wednesday that his party workers informed him about Amal Barik who was suffering from high fever over the last five-six days. The forty-three-year-old Barik is a migrant worker who recently returned to his village.

The family was unable to arrange for an ambulance or a vehicle to take him to the hospital. Local residents too did not come forward to help out of fear and suspicions of Barik being infected by the coronavirus.

Patnaik said, "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."

"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.

After the doctors at the hospital examined Barik, they prescribed him some medicines and advised him to stay at home.

Patnaik then brought Barik back 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 since 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.

Uma Soren, former Lok Sabha member from Jhargram and TMC spokesperson 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.