It’s amazing how people can be indifferent when they hear the piercing siren of an ambulance. I have seen people in Bangalore react in a variety of ways in such a case. There are, thank God, still some who do their best to squeeze to a side in crowded traffic and make way for the ambulance. Others don’t seem to know or care. Yet others wait for the ambulance to break free so that they can tailgate it like the paparazzi chasing an ill fated Diana!
The Golden Hour is crucial for those who have a heart attack ( MI or myocardial infarction as I came to know later it is called). They say that your chances of survival go up if you get medical attention as soon as possible after the attack.
I speak from experience. On April 18, 2005, I got a heart attack at about 8.30 a.m. I obviously did not know this at that time. While having a bath I felt some discomfort in my chest. Years of reading detective novels made me do the smartest thing under the circumstances. Reach out and unbolt the door so that you are not trapped in.
It was then Google to the rescue. I punched in “Heart Attack Symptoms” and there flew pages on them. A quick reading convinced me that I had to rush to the hospital. The impetus came from reading about the Golden Hour.
To cut a long story short, the ambulance rushed me through Bangalore’s crowded roads to Wockhardt, Shortly after I underwent coronary angioplasty and was discharged after a few days.
Here I am alive and kicking. I silently thank the driver of the ambulance and all those who made way for it that day.
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