Ever wondered about what happens when you get a heart attack while travelling. The thought of it sends a dreadful shiver in your body. All of us take precautions to prevent untoward things happening to us while doing some work. But rarely one would think of a heart attack while travelling in a train, Millions of people travel and heart attack can happen with any one. No one generally thinks that he may have a heart attack while he is travelling in the train.
For me train travel between Ahmedabad to Mumbai was almost a regular affair. I started working at Mumbai during last week of December 2007. From January 2008 I started weekly commuting to Ahmedabad where my family lived. My wife worked in a School at Ahmedabad very near my house and was happy there. Those days reservations in the train was allowed before 4 months. For coming to Ahmedabad and going back every week, I used to maintain a folder where I kept all my tickets booked four months in advance. I had holidays on all 2nd and 4th Saturdays. Accordingly my tickets were reserved on Friday nights either by Gujarat Mail or Duranto. Return journeys were on Sunday nights by the same trains. I used to live very near Mahalaxmi Station so that I could easily travel by the trains.
on 9th September 2011 I boarded Gujarat Mail at Mumbai Central. I had a reservation on a lower berth. That was the last lower berth, As usual I got my ticket checked by the Ticket Examiner and slept. That must be 10.30 or so in the night. Gujarat Mail is a very important train for travel to Mumbai and return to Ahmedabad. Both the trains for to and fro started at 10 pm and reached the destination at 6 am. So one could sleep very well in this train while going and while coming back. People generally preferred this train travel to travelling by air for this reason only. There were one First Class AC, three II Tier ACs and eight III Tier ACs. in the train. I do not correctly remember about other compartments. But roughly I know that there were twelve II tyer Non-AC and two General Compartments. The travel used to be totally hassle free.
That night my sleep was disturbed just before reaching Surat about 1 am. I had some peculiar sensation on my arms. It was like some needles pricking you from inside. I could not understand why it pained that way. I changed sides and slept again. The pain did not subside. Then I changed the direction - while sleeping my feet were towards the window now I put my head there. During this process the train had left Surat and had reached Kosamba. I got down to the platform and started running on both sides of my entrance. Did not help. In fact I started to feel choked up. I thought may be some food poisoning was there and tried to vomit by inserting my finger into the mouth, Did not work. I took out my cigarate packets as sure shot for moving the bowls. I tried and tried in the toilet as a king of last resort to get some relief. Instead of relieving the condition worsened. I feld all this is happenign because of excessive smoking and in disgust I threw the packet of my cigarettes and a very costly lighter which I had bougnt a day before at Mumbai, in the toilet ot the train and got out.
Feeling helpless I called my wife that must be around 2 am. I told her I have a feeling I have heart attack. I may not be able to travel beyond Baroda. She asked me to talk to the TTE and attendants to find out if any doctor was travelling in the train. That gave a new dimension to me, I called out for the TTE and the attendants and demanded to get me a doctor, The TTE said the train did not have a Doctor.. I was very aggressive I shouted at him "I could not believe that in all these 12 AC compartments we do not have a Doctor. Don't behave like dumb get me a doctor". The train was passing Bharuch Station. The TTE was very polite. He requested me to lie down on his berth. He told me that he had telephoned to Baroda. Doctor would come to the platform to take me, I had a feeling "if I lie down I shall die".
Somehow I thought I am very near to death, I went to my betrth. Sat there quietly and closed my eyes for prayer. I prayed to God. Prayed to my old mother and begged her pardon for leaving before her. Then I opened my eyes. I was quite taken aback to see Viswamitry Station passing. I was in Baroda for about one year as Asst. General Manager of State Bank Of India and was very familier with the suburbs of Baroda too. I could immediately undetrstand that I am very neat Barods, If anything happens I shall get down and catch a rickshaw to a hospital. I took my bag, opened the compartment door and stood near the steps. I had a promise that some doctor will come to receive me at Barods, I waited there eagerly to see when it will stop and when someone will take me.
The train touched Baroda station. A lone RPF personnel was standing to receive me. He took my bag. I was not in a position to walk. I asked him if he as brought a wheel chair. He said "Nathi, tame bahu vaat na karta, mari pachhad aujo" ( No wheel chair, you don't talk much, please follow me). I followed him quietrly. He made me climb up the stair case over the bridge and down to platform no, 1 and then out to a rickshaw stand where a rickshaw was waiting. He ordered him to take me to Narhari Amin Hopital.located nearby,
Reaching the hospital I could see it was completely dark except one portion where it was lighted, It was about 4 am. From a distance I read "Emergency". I hurried to the bed and opened my shirt and the attending doctor swang into action. He took my ECG. While he went to check the results, I got up shouting about the hospital. I atonce decided not to continue a second there, Came out and went to the Ambulance. The driver had gone home I was told. I shouted more. The doctor who had done the ECG came running to me. He told me that I should immediately go to the Heat Institute without wasting time. I came running to the road and tried to stop a rickshaw. He did not stop, When the second rickshaw approached I stood in front of it. He had to take me to Baroda Heart Institute. My wife called while I was in the rickshaw, I told her that I was heading to Baroda Heart Institute.
Reaching Baroda Heat Institute I decided now I will survive. Some attendants came running with wheelchair. I pushed them took out my slippers with so much force that I remember one of the slippers came up to my eye level. I read operation theaters near the lift climbed and pressed the button. In the operation theatre there several doctors I caught hold of one doctor told him "I am told I donot have much time. Note my wife's number, do not worry about money and do the needful." Thereafter I lost sense and got it back after 36 hours. I Was told I had 100% blockage when I reached the Institute.
While in the Institute I learned that one person who had heart attack in the train got down at Bharuch Station. The doctors there could not help. He had to travel to Baroda by road. By the time he reached the Heat Institute the patient was no more. Unknowingly, the arguments I had with tha attendants with the TTE, the hope the TTE gave me of a grand welcome at Baroda by a doctor perhaps saved my life. It will be totally unjust if I donot thank the Railways.
Railways announced to run more stationary trains, see full list here - informalnewz