Gynaecologist rides excavator to reach Shopian hospital amid waist-deep snow

According to a recent PTI report, he set out from home at 7.30 on Tuesday to cover the nearly 55-km journey. While snowfall was light in and around Srinagar, conditions worsened in south Kashmir, where Shopian received three to four feet of fresh snow. 

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Upon reaching Shopian, his car got stuck, forcing him to walk nearly three km in a desperate attempt to reach the district hospital. 

“It was early morning, and most roads were not cleared. I started walking, but then a JCB (excavator) came along, so I hopped onto that,” Pandit told PTI over the phone.  

He said he took the excavator to the hospital and arrived there around 10.30 am. 

“It was a sense of responsibility and duty… It was the sense of duty towards my patients, especially the pregnant women, who could otherwise have faced problems,” he said, reports PTI.

Pandit said he had to reach the hospital at any cost to perform procedures on pregnant women. 

“Many patients were lined up for procedures, and there were some emergencies as well. Referring the patients to other hospitals in this heavy snow would have created difficulties,” he said. 

The doctor said his department performed 10 surgeries during the day, and all the patients were stable.  

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