16 January,2015 02:00 PM IST | | Shirish Vaktania
It is not always that rickshaw drivers are in the good books of people in Mumbai. But for a family from Vile Parle, one rickshaw driver is more than a Good Samaritan
(Left) Rickshaw driver Manoj Saha who took Harsh Chheda to a hospital; Chheda (right) at the ICU of Nanavati hospital.
It is not always that rickshaw drivers are in the good books of people in Mumbai. But for a family from Vile Parle, one rickshaw driver is more than a Good Samaritan. He saved their 13-year-old son's life after he was seriously injured by a Chinese-made manja on Wednesday while going for tuitions. The quick-thinking rickshaw driver who saw this immediately took him to the nearest hospital. The boy, who began to bleed profusely from his neck, received multiple stitches and is in the ICU at Nanavati hospital. Doctors say he is out of danger.
(Left) Rickshaw driver Manoj Saha who took Harsh Chheda to a hospital; Chheda (right) at the ICU of Nanavati hospital.
The boy, Harsh Chandrakant Chheda, like many other times, set out around 4.30 pm on his cycle for tuitions. But on Nanda Patkar Road, a kite with a manja floated towards him and soon the manja
entangled around his neck. Chheda fell from the cycle and began bleeding profusely from the neck.
Passers-by gathered but did nothing. A rickshaw driver, Manoj Saha, who was ferrying a passenger had also seen the accident. But unlike them, he immediately requested the passenger to get off saying the boy needed treatment and took him to the nearest hospital.
Saha said, "The incident occurred in front of me. The boy was lying on the road. All I felt was that I have to take him to a hospital. But the doctors at the nearest hospital told me to take him to Nanavati hospital. Finally I managed to take him there and saved his life. I felt good after the doctors told me that he is out of danger. Later I reached the accident spot again and found his parents looking for him."
Chheda's father, a businessman, is all praise for Saha. Chandrakant said, "My son fell down from the cycle after this incident and started bleeding. Manoj saw this and took him to Gawde hospital which is nearby. But the doctors told him to take him to Nanavati hospital. In 10 to 15 minutes he had admitted him to Nanavati hospital. I later offered Manoj some money as a token of my good wishes for saving my son but he refused to take it. He is truly a hero for my family."
Chheda received multiple injuries to his neck. Doctors said he is out of danger but not able to speak properly due to deep injuries. He will need treatment for a while.
