Bravo: Telangana Doctor steers tractor to transport deceased COVID patient body after drives backs out

Telangana: At a time when even securing beds in hospitals are becoming difficult for patients due to the pandemic, a 45-year-old Telangana doctor has established our belief in humanity after he drove a tractor to carry the body of a deceased COVID-19 patient to cremation ground for his last rites.

The doctor is identified as Dr Pendyala Sriram Shri Ram, who works as a district medical surveillance officer in the Peddapalli district. On July 12, after one of the COVID patients passed away, he tried to arrange an ambulance to take the body for cremation. However, due to the unavailability of ambulances, the doctor approached a municipality tractor driver requesting him to carry the body, the driver refused to carry the body as he was scared of contracting the virus.

Under such circumstances, the medical practitioner decided to take the matters on his own hands and drove the vehicle carrying the body of the deceased to the cremation ground.

The incident came to light after a video went viral in the social media platform in which the doctor was seen driving the tractor wearing personal protective equipment.

This incident is a rare instance where the doctor was not only performing his duties diligently on the frontline despite all the risks involved but also going out of the way to help the patients and families. The doctor was concerned that due to the unavailability of the ambulances, the cremation might be delayed and the family of the victim will be rendered distressed. 

The gesture has been lauded by many including the Vice President of India, who tweeted;

Also Read: COVID-19 Bodies Disposal: Delhi Govt Issues Additional Guidelines

While explaining his stance behind this gesture , the doctor told HT "In July 2018, I lost my 18-year-old son in a road accident in Bengaluru. And I had to struggle for nearly 20 hours to get his body from the hospital mortuary after post-mortem. I could see the same agony in the faces of the family members of Covid-19." The doctor also informed that since he practiced cultivation in Karimnagar on weekends, he had the knowledge of driving a tractor.