Home / Disasters and Accidents / Stroke victim held by police, misses golden hour treatment
Stroke victim held by police, misses golden hour treatment
29 Jul
Summary
- Elderly man's stroke symptoms mistaken for intoxication by police.
- Suspected drunk driving detention delayed crucial medical treatment by hours.
- Delayed care resulted in partial paralysis for the 73-year-old man.
A 73-year-old man from Versova experienced a stroke while driving on July 25, causing a minor accident. Police detained him at the Versova police station for approximately five hours, suspecting drunk driving due to his slurred speech. His family asserts that no breathalyser test was administered, and police ignored signs of a stroke and his advanced age.
This prolonged detention significantly delayed his medical treatment, pushing it back by nearly 12 hours and leading to partial paralysis. While initial police reports suggested alcohol consumption, a later test at Nanavati Hospital, where he was admitted around 8 pm, showed no presence of alcohol. The report from Cooper Hospital regarding an earlier blood alcohol test is still pending.
Legal experts note that in drunk driving cases, immediate hospital testing is mandated before taking a suspect to the police station. Activist MLA Ameet Satam has requested action against the police personnel involved, citing a lack of clear explanations for the delayed medical attention.
