It was with profound sadness that one heard of the sudden and tragic death of former Prez Kalam a genuine 24 carat hero, friend and guide to so many of us from afar.
A query that popped to my mind upon hearing of the heartbreaking death, was whether the sudden calamity was a result of Pulmonary Embolism. Pulmonary Embolism is a rather common condition wherein a clot plugs the pulmonary artery after travelling from the leg veins and can lead often to a catastrophic cardiovascular collapse and death. This happens commonly in people undertaking long distance travel by air or road and who don’t take adequate precautions like leg exercises and adequate hydration.
Prez Kalam undertook a 3 hour flight and a grueling road journey to reach IIM Shillong and collapsed suddenly after that. This is of course pure conjecture considering one doesn’t have his other medical details, but it may be advisable for individuals undertaking long distance travel particularly in economy class to be aware of this potentially fatal condition and always take adequate precautions like leg exercises, venous stockings and hydration to reduce chances of the same. This is particularly true for the elderly and those with prior cardiac illness.
As we say goodbye to a truly great soul, we’d do well to emulate and put into practice even a fraction of his teachings. That would be the real tribute to the man.
