Aashid Chandra’s deep yawn just before a peaceful sleep on the Dibrugarh-bound Vivek Express (22503) early on Friday (October 17, 2025) turned into an agonizing ordeal. The 24-year-old from West Bengal had no idea that his jaw would soon be locked. His jaw joints were dislocated, leaving him unable to close his mouth and in severe pain.
When panic broke out, his relative alerted the Ticket Examiner (TTE), who immediately informed the railway authorities at Palakkad. At 2.30am, when the train entered Palakkad Junction, ENT surgeon Jithin PS of Palakkad Railway Hospital was waiting on the platform ready to help.
Aashid, sitting on the platform, pointed at Dr. Jithin. He was unable to speak or swallow due to his clenched jaw. Dr. Jithin diagnosed a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dislocation and manually reduced it with a gauze bandage.
Dr. He solved Jitha’s problem in less than three minutes, although such dislocations may require hospital treatment. He had treated TMJ reduction in hospitals before, but this was the first time he had treated a passenger on a train.
The video went viral
The video in which Dr. Jithin lowers Aashid’s TMJ subluxation, shared by railways, has gone viral on social media. Many responded positively and shared their own experiences.
Meanwhile, doctors have warned that manual reduction of a jaw dislocation should not be attempted without medical expertise.
“If an inexperienced person tries this, they can risk breaking a bone and even injuring an artery. The pressure the doctor applies is critical. Lay people often fail to apply the right force,” said Dr. Jithin.
Jaw dislocation, although rare, can cause serious trauma. It can be caused by excessive opening of the mouth during yawning and dental procedures, accidents or seizures.
Jaw dislocation is usually treated by ENT specialists, maxillofacial surgeons, trained emergency physicians and orthopedists. Treatment usually takes place in hospital after a pain relief injection. ENT doctors warn that manual reduction is not as simple as it seems.
Congratulating the railways and Dr. To Jithin, many respondents were also curious about the way to contact the railways for medical emergencies on the train.
Railway application
Palakkad Divisional Railway Manager Madhukar Roat urged passengers to use the Rail Madad mobile app for medical help and queries. They can also dial the toll-free number 138 in case of a medical emergency or seek help from a TTE.
Mr Roat said response times to passenger emergency calls had been noticeably reduced, increasing the railways’ general efficiency.
Published – 19 Oct 2025 16:43 IST
