John was unknown to medical staff
Kottayam: He had a striking resemblance to Jesus Christ as well as Che Guevara at the same time, even when he lay lifeless in a bed of the Kozhikode medical college hospital, recalled Dr B Eqbal, then a neurosurgeon at the MCH.
It was on May 31, 1987 the day after John Abraham was admitted to the hospital following a drunken dance and a fall from the top of a house, which claimed his life. Shocking was the disclosure of Dr Eqbal on his facebook status this morning – that John was not identified by the hospital authorities, and not given due attention, which caused his condition to deteriorate, leading to his death.
This happened when John's close friends including Dr Eqbal, and some other medical students of the MCH, were present in the hospital. “Indeed it was unfortunate that we came to know that it was John, only when I saw him dead in his hospital bed, following a serious injury to his head.
Later I was informed that the doctors who attended on him only heard from him that he was a film maker, which prompted them to presume that he was a film representative bringing film roles to the theaters”, Dr Eqbal, recalls the incident twenty-six years later. He could have been saved if he divulged his identity at that point, so that follow actions that were needed could have been taken.John was brought by some people to the hospital and reportedly no one stayed with him, which only added to the negligence.
Adding to it, according to Dr Eqbal, the legendary filmmaker vacated his bed and gave it to another patient and he lay on the floor, Dr Eqbal recalled. “He was a quintessentially a genius, who was not ready to conform to the norms laid down by society. He had an original perspective on every issue.
If he was more disciplined while he was making his kind of cinema, he could have rendered immense contributions to the film industry”, Dr Eqbal added.
John Abraham, a native of Chenganacherry, was a film director by profession, and had directed three landmark films in Malayalam including Amma Ariyan, Cheriyachantey Krurakrithyangal, Vidhyarthikaley Ithiley Ithiley apart from the Tamil film, Agraharathil Kazhuthai which gave him an international reputation.
He also had launched a people’s film movement named, Odessa. Ironically the revelation from Dr Eqbal came ten days after the twenty- second death anniversary of John. He died on May 31, 1987.
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