COVID-19 lockdown: 550-km relay by Kerala cops to deliver medicines

Lathika, aged around 40, had almost lost hope of getting medicines for her heart ailment they were available only in Thiruvananthapuram, the southern end of Kerala, while she was staying at Kasargod, the northern end.

But the Kerala police made it happen by conducting an overnight relay covering 550 kilometres, involving 19 police patrol teams.

Follow live updates of coronavirus cases in India here

Mother of an endosulfan victim at Periya in Kasargod, Lathika was taking the drug regularly over many years. With the lockdown coming into force unexpectedly and her medicine stock ending, Lathika shared her concern with Ambalathara Kunhikrishnan, an activist working for endosulfan victims. The medicine was available only in Thiruvananthapuram.

As Kunhikrishnan shared the plight of the lady with some local police personnel in Kasargod, one of them shared it among police circles. The matter also came to the attention of Kerala Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan, who is also an MLA from Kasargod. He alerted Kerala state police chief Loknath Behera about the issue on Sunday evening and subsequently the medicine stared its journey from Thiruvananthapuram with patrol teams in each limit handing over the packet to the next team. By Monday morning it reached Kasargod passing through 19 patrol teams and was delivered by police personnel at the doorsteps of Lathika at Periya.

Track the state-wise confirmed cases here

The Kerala police and its community policing wing has been reaching out to people and delivering essential commodities like medicines and also enquiring about health of aged people staying alone ever since the lockdown began.