Only a couple of days ago, tensions were soaring in the two states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the Cauvery water dispute.  Bengaluru locals thrashed a Tamilian for “mocking” Kannada actors and in retaliation, Chennaites vandalised a hotel belonging to a Kannadiga in Mylapore.

Amid this violent atmosphere emerged an inspiring story that shows why we should place humanity above everything else.

A team of doctors from Bengaluru’s Manipal hospital along with a patient undertook a brave task of travelling discreetly across the border into Tamil Nadu around 1 am on Thursday to perform a liver transplant, reports Times Of India. 

The patient, a 55-year-old diabetic hailing from Maharashtra’s Nagpur city, was suffering from some liver disease and after waiting for a transplant for the last two years, he finally found a donor in Tamil Nadu’s Salem district. 

b’Protesters vandalise a vehicle in Bengaluru | PTI’

After calculating the possible risks, the team decided to brave the seemingly dangerous journey, which on a normal day takes at least four hours by road. 

Speaking to Times Of India, consultant hepatologist Dr A Olithselvan revealed how they circumnavigated the police who were reportedly left dumbstruck.

  • The team first travelled till the Tamil Nadu border in a Karnataka-registered ambulance at around 1 am. 
  • Then got off the vehicle and made the patient sit on a wheelchair which was wheeled for about a kilometre in the darkness till they crossed the border.
  • To cover the one kilometre stretch, it took them 30 minutes.
  • After they crossed the border, a Tamil Nadu registered ambulance was arranged to pick them up.

The team finally reached Salem’s Manipal Hospital at 3 am and performed the operation which took about 12 hours. 

The patient is reportedly doing well. 

(Feature image source: PTI)