“To vote, or not to vote” was a question for Ms Kalavathi, a 78-year-old woman in Bengaluru who was hospitalised after her blood oxygen level dropped earlier this week. She was rushed to a hospital in Jayanagar on Tuesday with symptoms of cough and breathlessness, days before her constituency was scheduled to vote in the second phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
Ms Kalavathi, however, surprised everyone on Friday when she was taken to the poll booth on a stretcher to exercise her franchise.
According to doctors, her oxygen saturation level was at 80%, which is usually 95% or higher, when she was admitted to the hospital. Upon assessment, she was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Aravinda GM, the doctor at the Manipal Hospital in Jayanagar, began her treatment and gave her antibiotics along with oxygen therapy, inhalation, antiviral medications, and supportive care.
As her health condition gradually improved and she was shifted to the recovery room, Mr Kalavathi expressed her wish to cast her vote.
She was delighted when the medical team came forward to support her decision to participate in the democratic process.
Assisted by the nursing team, she was then taken to the Jayanagar constituency to cast her vote on a stretcher.
Voting is currently underway across 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka. The polling began at 7 am and an estimated 22.34 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 11 am in the southern state.
Out of 14 segments that are going to polls, the highest turnout of 30.98 per cent was recorded in Dakshina Kannada, followed by Udupi-Chikmagalur 29.03 per cent, and the least 19.21 per cent in Bangalore Central.
The turnout was 19.81 per cent in Bangalore South and 19.78 per cent in Bangalore North.
