WhatsApp group helps airlift ailing IT professional from UK to Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram : A Delhi-based WhatsApp group consisting of Keralites led by a former judge and a former Union Minister played a key role in airlifting a Kerala IT professional from a UK hospital to one in Kozhikode in an air ambulance that arrived on Friday.

The WhatsApp group is known as Distress Management Collective and was formed 50 days back. It is led by retired former apex court judge Kurian Joseph.

Speaking to IANS, K.J. Alphons, presently an Upper House member said that everything was accomplished in a matter of two days.

"We got in touch with a mayor in the UK, Tom Aditya and then permission was sought from a few departments from Delhi.

The Kerala government also agreed and everything was done in a flash. We were told they did not want any sort of publicity.

According to original schedule, they were supposed to land tomorrow, but they arrived today at Kozhikode airport," said Alphons.

The 36-year-old IT professional, working with UST Global in the UK, was suffering from a terminal illness and the family wanted to reach Kerala.

Their efforts were successful with the involvement of many, including Alphons and it happened during the Covid lockdown times, not a mean achievement, by any chance, people have applauded.

The patient, his wife and their young child landed in Kozhikode after couple of stops for refuelling.

A sum of Rs 1 crore was collected through crowd funding with the company also chipping in for airlifting him. The patient is now admitted to a private hospital at Kozhikode.