Kerala prays as ambulance rushes 15-day-old infant from

An ambulance literally streaked across the road transporting a 15-day-old infant with a serious heart-related problem from a hospital in Mangaluru to a private one here in five-and-a-half hours Tuesday as authorities and people came together to create a green corridor on a 400 km stretch.

The child has been admitted to the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences here following intervention by the Kerala government, official sources said.

Initially, the relatives had decided to take the child directly to the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology in Thiruvananthapuram in the ambulance covering over 600 km in 12 hours.

However, State Health Minister K K Shailaja Teacher intervened and urged the relatives to take it to the Kochi hospital.

The minister, who spoke to doctors in Amrita Hospital, convinced the relatives that a long journey will be risky for the child who was in a serious condition.

The minister also offered free treatment for the ...