A 50-year-old man, who met with a road accident, has a second chance at life, thanks to the prompt intervention of a doctor on the spot. It was only a few minutes after Dr Ajayakumar S left his home at Enathu on Tuesday night to pick up his wife from Mannady near Adoor in Pathanamthitta that he witnessed a life-threatening accident unfold before him.

About a kilometre along the Enathu–Mannady road, he noticed a middle-aged man on a two-wheeler speeding past his car. Barely 15 metres ahead, the rider crashed head-on into an autorickshaw coming from the opposite direction, sending both the man and the vehicle skidding across the road.

Without hesitation, Dr Ajayakumar braked, rushed out and attended to the unconscious rider, later identified as 50-year-old Sreejith from Mannady. The doctor administered two rounds of CPR, and within moments the man regained consciousness.

“People who stopped were concerned, but no one attempted first aid. He had multiple fractures and was bleeding heavily. If CPR had not been given immediately, he might not have survived,” says Dr Ajayakumar, 54, a medical officer at the Community Health Centre Kulakkada in Kollam. Though he has been practising for 17 years, this was the first time he had to treat a patient on the roadside.

“I had seen him overtake my vehicle. He was speeding and not wearing a helmet. The crash happened right in front of me,” the doctor recalls.

CCTV footage later confirmed that after overtaking the doctor’s car, the two-wheeler moved to the wrong side of the road and collided head-on with the autorickshaw, which then veered off and rammed into a nearby shop building.

The autorickshaw driver, a woman passenger and one child were thrown out, while another child, a girl, remained inside briefly before stepping out. None of them sustained serious injuries and was able to stand up immediately. “The bike rider was the only one lying unconscious. Since the others seemed stable, I rushed straight to him,” Dr Ajayakumar says.

Sreejith was lying on his side when the doctor reached him. After checking his pulse, he realised CPR was urgently required. “It was a busy time because a temple festival was taking place nearby. Many people gathered, but most were unsure what to do. When I told them I was a doctor and asked for help, they cooperated immediately,” he says.

After two rounds of CPR, Sreejith regained consciousness. The doctor then instructed bystanders to bring a cloth to control the bleeding and help immobilise his fractured right leg.

Traffic soon built up at the accident site, leaving no option but to treat him on the road itself. An ambulance was called, and he was first taken to the Taluk Hospital in Adoor before being shifted to the Government Medical College, Kottayam, for advanced treatment. "It is learnt that the man had also suffered a head injury. The autorickshaw passengers were taken to the hospital earlier in another vehicle," Dr Ajayakumar said. “I haven’t visited Sreejith in person since then, but we stay in touch over the phone, and I regularly enquire about his recovery,” he added.

“In my entire career, this was the first time I had to treat someone on the road. But in such moments, there is no time for panic or doubt. You simply have to act,” he said.
Dr Ajayakumar is also the district president of the Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) in Kollam.

Sreejith, a Gulf returnee, was heading to buy some items for the temple's annual festival when the accident occurred. "He is scheduled for leg surgery, and we are currently waiting for the CT scan reports," said his sister, Akshara Lakshmi. Sreejith works at a private company. He lives with his wife, parents, two children, and sister.