Ambulance Covers 12 hours Route to 5 Hours: Saves 15-days Infant’s Life
A united Kerala helped save a newborn’s life through compassion and teamwork.
In April 2019, a 15-day-old newborn from Kasargod, Kerala, faced a life-threatening heart condition that required urgent surgery. Doctors in Mangaluru assessed the baby as extremely fragile and ruled out air transport due to pressure risks, making a road ambulance the only option. Ambulance driver Hassan from Uduma volunteered to take on the critical journey. As the ambulance began its mission, the Child Protect Team used social media and Facebook Live to alert the public and coordinate support. Across Kerala, citizens, volunteers, and police officers cleared roads and intersections, creating a continuous green corridor. Although the initial plan involved travelling to Thiruvananthapuram, Health Minister K K Shailaja recommended treatment at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi for the baby’s safety, with government support for medical costs. Covering nearly 400 kilometres in just five and a half hours, the ambulance reached Kochi in record time. Surgeons successfully performed the operation, saving the newborn’s life through collective compassion and unity.
