Mannarkad: Coordinated efforts by ambulance drivers and police helped save the life of Rayin Haji, a Vandoor native who suffered a serious eye injury, by rushing him to a hospital in Coimbatore.

Rayin Haji suffered a grievous eye injury after being hit by an iron cutter during construction work on a house. As he experienced severe bleeding while being transported to Coimbatore for emergency treatment, the ambulance made a brief stopover at a hospital in Mannarkad for primary care.

When the journey resumed, Safwan, the ambulance driver from Vandoor, was joined in the vehicle by Shiyas Mannarkad, another ambulance driver and volunteer. Meanwhile, a request made by Shiyas through social media also helped facilitate a smooth journey along the route.

The ambulance covered 188 km in just 2 hours and 10 minutes. Kerala police accompanied the vehicle up to Walayar, while Tamil Nadu police took over from the inter-state border. Local ambulance drivers also helped ensure uninterrupted travel, and from Valayar, four additional ambulances joined as escorts.