A city hospital has given a 22-year-old IT engineer suffering from acute pancreatitis a new lease of life by pulling him out of a life and death situation.

Praveen, who was set to join TCS, was brought to Gem Hospital in a critical condition with little hope of survival. The hospital he was being treated in asked the relatives to take him home, Gem Hospital chairman Dr C Palanivelu told reporters here today. The patient was brought in an ambulance on ventilator support in an unconscious state and very low blood pressure on October 26, he said.

After three days of treatment in the pancreatitis and hepatitis ICU, he regained consciousness and in the next 10 days he was completely cured and was discharged a couple of days back, the doctor said.

In a video message, Praveen thanked his uncle who took the initiative to bring him from Namakkal to Gem Hospital and the team of doctors, who took the risk in bringing a critically ill person back to life. He is taking up his new assignment in TCS soon, he said.

Palanivelu said that pancreatitis is usually gall stone induced and nowadays alcohol and viral infection induced pancreatitis are on the increase. Proper diagnosis and corrective treatment at appropriate time can successfully treat the disease, he added.

Praveen was down with viral infection induced pancreatitis, with severe pain in the upper abdomen and back, Palanivelu said.