Doctor takes sick newborn to hospital on bike; saves his life

Doctors are considered second to God and this came true for a newborn in the neighbouring Alibaug town, who was taken to a neonatal facility on a doctor's two-wheeler when he developed respiratory problems just minutes after his birth.

Alibaug resident Shweta Patil developed labour pains in the early hours of Friday and was rushed to a nearby nursing home by her husband Ketan amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

For the couple, who had already lost their first child within hours of birth, getting the right care at the right time was crucial.

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"Shweta is a diabetic and she has to take medication to keep her sugar level under control," Ketan said.

Considering Shweta's medical history, the local gynaecologist, who had delivered her first child, called in neonatologist and paediatrician Dr Rajendra Chandorkar for assistance.

A c-section was performed and a baby boy, weighing 3.1 kg, was delivered with normal parameters, Chandorkar said.

However, the doctor's relief was short-lived when the newborn developed breathing problems and turned blue.

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"The diagnosis was transient tachypnea of newborn (TTN) and the baby needed neonatal care urgently," he said.

With no means of transportation available due to the lockdown, the newborn was taken to Chandorkar's hospital, which was 1.5 km away, on the doctor's two-wheeler.

"I admitted the baby to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and put him on oxygen support and his condition stabilised after 12 hours," he said.

"It was an overwhelming experience for me. The baby held on to my finger during examination and I just wanted to assure him that he was safe and will get well soon," he said.

The coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent lockdown has highlighted the risk taken by health workers who go above and beyond the call of duty to save a patient's life with limited resources at their disposal.

Speaking about medical facilities in Alibaug, a popular beach destination near Mumbai, Chandorkar said there was a shortage of ventilators and critical patients are often shifted to Mumbai for advanced care.