A gentleman from Kerala, in southern India, has told the BBC he feared he may perish there after 42 days of being confined to a doctor lift without any food or water.
Ravindran Nair, 59, arrived in the lift on Saturday afternoon to join a physician, but he remained there until Monday night when a raise driver located him. He is currently being treated for back problems and dehydration in a hospital.
Initial impressions from his family led to the discovery that he was at work, but they eventually reached out to the police and launched a desperate search for him.
The event has caused national media attention, leading to the state government’s decision to suspend three experts and launch an investigation. Representatives from the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, and the country’s health minister have apologised to Mr Nair, says his partner Sreelekha CP who works at the doctor.
Mr. Nair claimed to have started going to the hospital routinely a few months ago after getting hurt in the toilet and becoming in pain.
He claims that because I was experiencing significant pain after a new trip, I met the doctor on Saturday and we got an X-ray test of my back.
The pair realized they had forgotten the results of their blood test when the physician asked for them at home. Mr. Nair went home to pick up the effects because Ms. Sreelakha had to leave for work.
He and his wife typically use a pull reserved for people when they travel to the doctor. However, this time, he entered Lift-11, which was intended for customers and patients, to ascend to the next floor.
” It was just beyond lunch next. There was no-one else in the lift but the light was on, so I did n’t think anything was wrong”, he says.
He hit the button, and the raise started to ascend, but as it got closer to the second floor, it slammed into the first and second floors with a clatter.
Mr. Nair claims that the emergency number on the lift did n’t respond right away. He also tried calling his wife and “anyone else I could think of”, but the calls would n’t connect.
” I started slamming on the raise windows to get people’s notice,” I said. That’s when my mobile fell on the floor and stopped working”, he says.
I tried pulling aside the gates with my fingers as I yelled and screamed for assistance. It was now black inside the pull, but luckily, there was enough heat to breathe”.
He then paced around the lift, pressing the concern ring again and again, hoping it would ring and get someone’s attention.
” I had no idea whether it was morning or evening inside as the days passed. When I got tired, I slept in a spot. I had to use another spot to urinate and poo”, he says.
He later recalled that he needed to take some supplements to control his blood pressure.
” I had them on me, but could n’t swallow them because I had no water and my mouth was dry from shouting for help”, he recalls.
” I began to wonder if I may pass away inside the elevator.” I was concerned about my family and my kids and was concerned about my soon parents and ancestors. But finally, I made up my mind that I had to endure this agonizing ordeal and made the decision to become stronger.
One thing that gave him satisfaction, he says, was reciting lyrics written by his family.
I hoped people had come over to fix the pull and find me there, as they said.
42 hours after his ordeal began, an operator opened the door and asked him to jump out on Monday morning at around 06 :00 local time.
The first thing Mr. Nair did after being saved was visit his spouse, who had no idea her missing father was stranded at her job.
” He wanted me to come and take him home”, she says.
Since then, the doctor has posted a warning sign outside the pull for guests to stay away while it is being repaired.