What should have been a race against time turned into a heartbreaking journey through silence, delay and indifference on Bengaluru’s streets.

Venkataramanan, a 34-year-old mechanic from south Bengaluru, began feeling severe chest pain in the early hours of December 13. With no ambulance available, his wife made a desperate decision she put him on a two-wheeler and headed out in search of medical help.

Their first stop was a nearby private hospital, where the family claims they were told no doctor was available. Hoping for answers, they went to another private facility. An ECG there indicated a mild heart attack, but according to relatives, no emergency care was started. Instead, they were advised to take him to Jayadeva Hospital, a major cardiac centre in Jayanagar.

With no ambulance arranged, the couple set off again on the bike. On the way, tragedy struck. The two-wheeler met with an accident near the Kadirenahalli area of Banashankari, and Venkataramanan collapsed on the road.

CCTV Footage Goes Viral

CCTV footage later showed a harrowing scene of his wife running toward passing vehicles, folding her hands and pleading for help as her husband lay in pain. Car after car drove past. No one stopped.

Several minutes later, a cab driver finally came to their aid and rushed Venkataramanan to the nearest hospital. It was already too late. Doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Venkataramanan leaves behind his wife, a five-year-old son and an 18-month-old daughter. His death has also left his mother childless; he was her only surviving son, after losing five other children earlier in life.

In a quiet act of generosity amid grief, the family chose to donate his eyes.

Incident Raises Alarm on Emergency Response

The incident has sparked widespread concern over emergency healthcare access and the reluctance of bystanders to intervene during medical crises. It also comes at a time when heart disease has become India’s leading cause of death. Government data shows cardiac-related fatalities now account for nearly one in three deaths nationwide a sharp rise over the past decade.

Just days earlier, a 14-year-old student in Andhra Pradesh collapsed during a school lecture and was declared dead at hospital, highlighting how sudden cardiac events are affecting younger Indians as well.

Together, these tragedies point to an uncomfortable reality in medical emergencies, help often arrives late, or not at all, and ordinary people are increasingly left to fend for themselves when every minute matters.