Man who suffered heart attack taken to hospital on two-wheeler as Dasara crowd clogs Mangaluru roads

Mangaluru: A cardiac patient in the Kudroli area of Mangaluru had to be transported on a two-wheeler through crowded streets on Thursday night after heavy festival crowds and security arrangements during Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s visit to the Sri Gokarnanatheshwara Temple reportedly blocked vehicular movement.

The patient, a member of a Rajasthani family residing near the temple, suffered a heart attack while the area was crowded with devotees attending the Mangaluru Dasara celebrations. With cars unable to move through the congested roads, the patient’s son and sister reportedly helped him onto a two-wheeler and took him to an adjacent lane.

A local doctor living nearby intervened and rushed the patient to a hospital. The patient subsequently underwent emergency angioplasty around midnight.

Prominent cardiologist Dr. Padmanabha Kamath has written an open letter urging the district administration, police and temple committees to introduce immediate safety measures to prevent similar situations.

Pointing to the large crowds that gather around Kudroli during the Dasara season, particularly in the evenings, Kamath expressed concern over the risks posed when vehicular movement is completely restricted near the temple.

He called on the authorities to identify and maintain clear emergency exit routes and provide dedicated corridors for ambulances during major festivals and VIP visits.

The cardiologist stressed the need for proactive crowd-management arrangements to ensure that people requiring urgent medical attention can reach hospitals without delay.