In an extraordinary humanitarian gesture, an eighty five year old man with constantly dipping oxygen levels voluntarily walked out of a Nagpur hospital to make way for a young patients battling for life. Tragically, the octogenarian died three days after he was brought home. Despite being covid positive and dipping oxygen levels, Narayan Dabhalkar went against the medical advice of his doctors and opted for a discharge after he saw a woman pleading to get her 40-year-old husband admitted to the hospital.
“I am 85. I have lived my life. Saving the life of a young man is more important. Their children are young…please give my bed to them,” the 85-year-old reportedly told the doctors.
“We rushed him to IGR when his oxygen levels dipped on April 22. We got a bed after great effort but he was back home in a couple of hours. My father said he would prefer to spend his last moments with us. He also told us about a young patient,” Dabhalkar’s daughter was quoted as saying by Times of India.
He decided to give up his bed so that a much younger person’s life could be saved, said the kin of Mr Dabhalkar.
As per the TOI report, Dabhalkar was yet to be taken inside the Covid-19 ward and was still in the casualty section when he decided to give up his bed. Even leaving the casualty ward would have eased the pressure, the official was quoted as saying by TOI.
Social media was flooded with emotional tribute for the octogenarian’s sacrificial act.
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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan took to Twitter to laud Narayan Dabhalkar for his heartwarming gesture. Posting his picture on Twitter, he wrote, “I am 85 years old, have seen life, but if that woman’s husband dies then the children will be orphaned. So, it’s my duty to save him. After saying this, Shri Narayan Ji, an RSS volunteer, gave his bed to that patient.”
