Kannur: The ambulance ride from Mangaluru to Kannur was believed to be the final journey of Pavithran, a 67-year-old native of Pachapoyka in Kannur. His grieving family had even begun funeral preparations. However, in a startling turn of events, Pavithran defied death by opening his eyes.

The body of Vellyuvakkandi Pavithran was brought to AKG Hospital in Kannur late Monday night in preparation for his funeral, scheduled for 10 am on Tuesday. The ambulance had taken five hours to transport him from a Mangaluru hospital. News of his presumed death had already been shared with local media by the ward member, and funeral arrangements were in place.

However, as his body was being moved to the mortuary at AKG Hospital, electrician Anoop and night supervisor R Jayan noticed a slight movement in Pavithran’s hand. Realising he still had a pulse, they immediately transferred him to the emergency wing, where specialist doctors were summoned.

By dawn, Pavithran’s condition had stabilised. To everyone’s disbelief, he regained consciousness and opened his eyes. "He looked at me," said his wife, Sudha, still in shock.

Pavithran had been battling severe respiratory issues and had initially been treated at hospitals in Koothuparambu and Thalassery before being moved to Mangaluru on Sunday. When his condition worsened further, the family arranged for an ambulance with ventilator support to transfer him to a better-equipped facility.

At two hospitals in Mangaluru, the family incurred significant expenses for treatment and medications. After exhausting their daily UPI transaction limit, they requested to settle the remaining dues the following day. However, the hospital refused, leaving them unable to continue ventilator support. Left with no other option, the family returned to Kannur in a standard ambulance.

Doctors in Mangaluru had warned that Pavithran would not survive more than 10 minutes after being taken off the ventilator. They even advised the family to obtain a death certificate from a hospital en route. When Pavithran remained unconscious, it was assumed he had passed away, leading to the decision to move him to the mortuary.

A former Gulf expatriate, Pavithran had returned to Kannur a few years ago. In addition to respiratory issues, he had suffered a stroke that left part of his body paralysed.