Five years after the death of Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar, his doctor, Dr. Ramana Rao, has recalled the events leading up to the actor’s final moments.

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In a recent interview, he talked about Puneet coming to his clinic after an intense workout, the ECG findings that raised concerns about his condition and the emergency measures taken to rush him to the hospital.

Puneet, fondly known as Appu, died on October 29, 2021 due to a heart attack at the age of 46. He was rushed to Vikram Hospital in Bengaluru, but doctors could not revive him.

Speaking to Just Curious Kannada, Dr Ramana Rao recalled his personal connection with the actor and his family. “Appu was a great person. He was like a son to me. He and my other son were good friends. They often played together and shared their toys,” she said.

The doctor also explained how the actor’s death is one of the most difficult experiences of his professional life. “As a doctor, I have seen many tragedies in my life. They often leave a terrible impression. You never forget some things. Apu is one of them.”

Punit Rajkumar tried kickboxing before his death

Recalling the day of the incident, Dr Ramana Rao said Puneet came to his clinic after spending about an hour and a half doing kickboxing at the gym. According to the doctor, the actor had tried the activity for the first time that day and appeared unusually tired.

“I was at the clinic when Apu came. He was sweating profusely. He told me he had gone to the gym, where he did kickboxing for an hour and a half. It was something new he had tried that day, and he was very tired. However, when I checked on him, I knew there was something more to his condition, seeing how much he was sweating.” called back

The ECG results prompted Dr. Raman Rao to take immediate action. He said that he administered the medicine and arranged for Puneet to be taken to the hospital without delay.

“It was not a heart attack, but stress. I knew something would happen. I gave him medicines, and we immediately sent him to the hospital. He was traveling in his car, he was talking to us, he wanted to sit in the car. But I told him to rest his head on my wife Ashwini’s lap and told the driver to take him to the hospital as soon as possible and arrange for Dr. Ranga to be taken to the hospital.”

Dr. Ranga Nayak, who had also treated Puneeth’s family members, including his father and legendary actor Rajkumar, helped coordinate the emergency response.

‘Her heart stopped beating a minute before reaching the hospital’

Dr. Ramana Rao further said that Puneet was conscious and was communicating with people around him while being taken to the hospital. However, his condition worsened before reaching the medical facility.

“A minute before he reached the hospital, his heart stopped beating. When he walked into the hospital, there was no heartbeat,” he added.

The medical team at Vikram Hospital tried to revive the actor after necessary emergency procedures. However, their efforts failed.

Recalling the loss, Dr. Ramana Rao said, “It was one of the most painful moments for all of us. It was like losing my own son,” he said.

background

Puneeth’s death has left fans and the Kannada film industry in mourning. After his death on 29 October 2021, his mortal remains were kept at the Sri Kanteerva Stadium in Bangalore for public homage. Thousands of fans, political leaders and members of the film fraternity gathered at the spot to pay their last respects to the actor.