Head constable H. Kumaraswamy didn’t think twice when he saw a cancer patient pleading for medicine on a Kannada channel a few days back.

The medicine had to be reached somehow, even if it meant a 400km solo ride on a scooter — and back.

The patient from Dharwad, around 420km from Bangalore, had been getting the medicine from a hospital in the city and wanted help as his stock was running out fast.

He usually got it couriered from the hospital, which specialises in alternative medicines, but that was impossible now with the Covid-19 lockdown in force. Travelling to Bangalore was out of the question.

The next day Kumaraswamy visited the office of the television channel to get more details about the patient, Umesh, 37, father of two school-going kids.

“I next went to the hospital to pick up the medicine that Umesh had already ordered for,” Kumaraswamy told The Telegraph on Monday.

What followed for the 47-year-old policeman was the solo ride of his life.

Kumaraswamy set off at 4.30am on Saturday with the medicine. He took his own scooter — a Honda Activa — as it was a mission he had decided on his own.

“I stopped only at six police checkpoints to explain why I was travelling. Although I am a policeman I had to explain the reason for my travel,” he said.

Kumaraswamy reached the patient’s home in Dharwad at 2.30pm.

“He was relieved to get the medicine so crucial for his treatment,” Kumaraswamy said.

After spending about two hours with Umesh, Kumaraswamy started the return journey at 4.30pm on Saturday and reached Chitradurga at 10.30pm.

“Since I didn’t want to ride at night I went to the Chitradurga fire force office where I rested till early morning,” the policeman said.

He set off for Bangalore at 5.15am and reached home at 10.30am.

“It was just a spur-of-the-moment decision to carry the medicine. But once I did that and met Umesh, I felt I did something very useful for a helpless man,” Kumaraswamy said.

Fatigue was an issue he had to overcome since he was riding a scooter not designed for such long trips.

“I felt a bit tired on the way back. But while going to Dharwad I was like a man on a mission, since delivering the medicine was my priority,” Kumaraswamy said.

As for the patient, he was a relieved man. “I was worried since my medicines were running out and no one can now travel to Bangalore because of the lockdown,” Umesh, who has a son and a daughter, told this newspaper.

“I really felt sorry for him (Kumaraswamy) since he had to ride so far to get my medicines.”

Kumaraswamy has completed 22 years in service and works at the control centre at the city police commissioner’s office. His only son is a student of Class XII.