Kerala police arranged a vehicle for the man after they spotted him near the border (Representational)

55-year-old man from Kerala fainted near the Kasaragod border after walking over 50 km on foot from Mangalore, the police said. The man, Balan, told the police that he was forcibly discharged from a government hospital in Mangalore, where he was admitted on March 21 after he fell from a coconut tree.

He was walking home with a relative due to the nationwide 21-day lockdown over coronavirus.

The Kerala police, after receiving information about the incident, arranged a vehicle for the man and his relative to be dropped home at Kanhangad in Kasaragod Superintendent of Police PS Sabu said.

Speaking to NDTV, Mr Sabu said, "The man claimed that he was forcibly discharged from the hospital on Friday. He was walking from Mangalore to his home in Kasaragod along with another person. He fainted a few kilometres away from the Kasaragod check-point. A police team, along with the District Police Chief, was passing by when they saw the man. They immediately stopped and informed the control room. They also called for a vehicle for the man to be dropped home."

Since Karnataka has blocked border roads with Kerala to curb the spread of coronavirus, patients who travel to Mangaluru for their treatment are finding it extremely difficult to commute.

Seven critically ill patients from Kasaragod have lost their lives since March 27 after the border roads were shut by Karnataka, reported PTI.