Tragic: Bengaluru man dies of heart attack after being turned away by 2 hospitals

Bengaluru: In a tragic incident, a 34-year-old mechanic from Bengaluru died of a heart attack in the early hours of Saturday after reportedly being denied urgent medical care and ambulance support by two private hospitals, highlighting gaps in city's emergency response system.

According to the news reports, the ordeal began around 3.30 am when Venkataramana woke up complaining of severe chest pain. Alarmed, his wife, Roopa K, wasted no time and took him on their scooter to a private hospital in Kathriguppe, hoping for urgent medical attention. Instead, they were allegedly turned away after being told that no doctor was available.

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With time running out and no assistance forthcoming, the couple set off again on their scooter. Tragically, they never reached the hospital.

Around 4.21 am, near Kadirenahalli bridge, the patient clutched his chest again, causing the scooter to crash. Though injured and shaken, the wife picked herself up and rushed to her husband, who was struggling to breathe.

In a heartbreaking turn of events, his wife pleaded with passing vehicles for help. Several two-wheelers and cars passed by without stopping as the man lay on the road, gasping for breath. A pedestrian eventually stopped to assist, and soon after, the man’s sister reached the spot and tried to stop vehicles as well. Nearly seven minutes later, a car finally halted, but by then, he had lost consciousness.

“I cried and pleaded with every passerby, two-wheelers, cars, and other vehicles for help,” the wife said, breaking down. “For nearly 10 minutes, no one stopped. If even one person had helped us, my husband might have been alive today,” reports TNIE.

His sister attempted CPR before they rushed him to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The entire incident, including the wife’s desperate attempts to seek help and the indifference of passersby, was captured on a nearby CCTV camera.

Banashankari traffic police have registered a case and handed over the body to the family after the postmortem. The deceased is survived by his mother, wife, and two young children. He worked as a mechanic at his sister’s automobile shop. The family has not filed a formal complaint against the hospitals involved, stating that no legal action can bring back their loved one.

Speaking to TOI, Roopa said that action must be taken against the hospitals, which she alleged failed to provide emergency care or arrange an ambulance. She claimed that the hospital staff may have neglected her husband because of their financial condition. Expressing anguish over the public response, Roopa said the incident highlighted a growing lack of compassion. "If someone had helped us in time, my husband might have survived," she said through tears. "He wanted to live. That is why he kept riding despite the pain."

Amid the tragedy, she made the humane decision to donate his eyes, ensuring that his death could bring hope to others. She urged people to stop and help when someone is in distress, emphasizing that a few minutes can mean the difference between life and death and that no one should have to go through what they did.

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