It was a major mishap. A bus carrying 41 persons to attend an event to be addressed by the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee fell in a ditch in Malda leaving two dead and 39 injured. The accident took place in a remote area with insufficient medical personnel.
SP Malda, Dr. Pradeep Yadav, receiving the information, rushed to the spot with the DM. By then, the injured had been pulled out of the bus. Dr. Yadav ordered that the injured be taken to the local hospitals and the nearest medical college.
Yet, the trauma prompted the accident victims to create a chaotic scene in which everyone wanted to receive treatment before the others. Those with genuine major injuries were at risk of being left behind, while people with minor scratches fought to be the first to get treated.
ON SPOT TREATMENT
IPS officer Dr. Yadav had left his medical profession to become a civil servant. He wore surgical gloves and began evaluating the injuries of victims as the doctors were also busy, owing to a large number of people hospitalized.
“There were too many patients. Doctors were trying to attend to everyone but that was not humanly possible. I, being a doctor, tried to assist the medical team there,” Mr. Yadav shared in an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds.
The less serious patients were evaluated, comforted, and informed as to why other patients needed more urgent care. “We also gathered information and created files for each injured person so that early diagnosis, treatment notes, and ward transfers could be made,” shared Mr. Yadav.
FROM IPS TO DOCTOR
The officer had been practising as a doctor for one year, in Haryana, before he made up his mind to crack UPSC Civil Services Examination. “Decisions made by the civil services have a wider influence and can affect more people. I want to help and guide people on a larger scale, which is why I joined the service and became an IPS officer,” Mr. Yadav shared with Indian Masterminds.
The officer finds both the medical and policing professions similar to each other as both have to deal with cases including injury reports, post-mortems, diagnosis, treatments, etc. He believes medical knowledge significantly helps one with policing as well.
NOT FIRST TIME
This is not the first time Dr Pradeep Yadav used his medical profession to provide assistance to the people. He was at the forefront during the nation’s fight against the deadly coronavirus pandemic as well.
