`I have lived my life`: 85-year-old Nagpur man vacates hospital bed for younger COVID patient, dies at home

NAGPUR: Narayan Dabhalkar, an 85-year-old COVID-19 patient, voluntarily gave up his hospital bed in Nagpur to save the life of a younger patient on Saturday, saying, "I have lived my life".

Sadly, the octogenarian later died at his home on Tuesday but before that, he had won a million hearts for his nobel gesture. 

Narayan Dabhalkar, a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), was admitted to the Indira Gandhi government hospital in Nagpur after he tested positive a few days ago. 

In the hospital, he came across a woman looking for a bed to save her 40-year-old COVID-19-infected husband. The hospital authorities had refused to admit him because there were no empty beds. 

Seeing the woman in tears, Dabhalkar decided to vacate his bed for her husband. While vacating his bed, he reportedly said, "I am 85. I have lived my life. Saving the life of a young man is more important. Their children are young...please give my bed to them." 

It was also reported that he gave a written undertaking to the hospital that he was “voluntarily vacating bed for another patient." Later at home, Dabhalkar’s oxygen levels dipped, and his health declined. He succumbed to COVID-19 on Tuesday.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan hailed Narayan Dabhalkar for the noble act.

"I am 85 years old, have seen life, but if that woman's husband dies then the children will be orphaned. So, it's my duty to save him. After saying this, Shri Narayan Ji, an RSS volunteer, gave his bed to that patient," the MP CM tweeted along with the elderly man’s photo.

However, the departed RSS man’s noble act of helping a younger COVID-19 patient has now run into a question.

Sheelu Chimurkar, the doctor in charge at the hospital run by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, was quoted by media reports as saying, “Our staff on duty on the day did not witness any such incident.”