"People of excellence go the extra mile to do what's right," goes a quote by American pastor cum author Joel Osteen.

It could very well apply to cardiologist Dr Shathiskumar Govindraju who cycled through the pouring rain and rising floodwaters to check on his patients at the Bukit Tinggi Medical Centre in Klang, on Saturday.

"My wife told me to wait until the afternoon to go to the hospital due to the floods and heavy rain.

"But I saw the rain was relentless and the water level kept rising, so I couldn't wait any longer," Shathiskumar told news portal Free Malaysia Today (FMT).

As his four-wheel-drive vehicle was half-submerged in water, the 40-year-old doctor hopped on his bicyle and made the perilous journey to the hospital through floodwaters filled with snakes and monitor lizards everywhere.

According to him, it was especially crucial for him to get to the hospital as he had to check on two of his patients who were in the intensive care unit.

Shathiskumar called the experience scary, as the reptiles which he had previously seen at two nearby lakes, where then swimming in the floodwaters.

"Thankfully, the only things that came close to me were centipedes," he quipped.

The tragic floods also brought out the best in men, he said, citing two instances where he was offered a ride by two complete strangers, on the way to, and back from the hospital.

"I saw complete strangers helping each other. In a normal situation, we wouldn't even talk to anyone on the street.

"Also, it usually takes me seven minutes to get to the hospital from my home, but it took me an hour and a half this time as I had to be careful navigating through the floodwaters.

"So I'm lucky that these people were kind enough to offer me a ride," he said.

Utmost respects for going beyond for the call of duty, sir. And indeed, the tragic floods had brought our the best in men, who have been spotted helping each other in times of need.


Source& Photo source: FMT