A Pune doctor is being hailed as a real “COVID warrior,” after he drove an ambulance to ferry an elderly COVID-19 patient, whose health had deteriorated. Dr Ranjeet Nikam (30) drove the 71-year -old patient from a care centre, where he was under Nikam’s watch.

The patient’s oxygen saturation level had dipped and he had to be shifted to a hospital. But, as the driver of the ambulance suddenly fell ill, Nikam decided to step in with a fellow doctor. 

“The incident took place around 2 am on Monday. I was at the COVID care centre when I received a call that an elderly patient’s oxygen saturation level has gone down,” Nikam told PTI.

Although the centre had its own ambulance, but its driver had fallen sick and was under medication and on saline at the facility.

“It was not appropriate to ask him to drive the van in that condition,” Nikam said. He called ‘108’ emergency ambulance service but the call did not get connected. He called another driver but got no response. 

As the patient’s health deteriorated, he decided to drive the ambulance himself.

“I along with one more doctor (Rajendra Rajpurohit) got into the ambulance van and drove out of the care centre,” Nikam said.

The patient was admitted to a private hospital and his condition is now stable. 

The patient’s son hailed Nikam and Rajpurohit as true “COVID warriors”.

He said the two doctors did not waste time in attending to his father and taking him to hospital in the ambulance.

“Dr Nikam and Dr Rajpurohit, who was accompanying him, not only drove the ambulance but also took efforts to find a bed for my father. They finally admitted him to one of the hospitals and saved his life,” he added.