Child Dies As Ambulance Dumped Mid Way To Hospital

Puri: Another case of alleged apathy of 108 ambulance service came to light in Puri district on Saturday after a one-and-a-half-year-old boy died after he was allegedly abandoned on the road by the ambulance  driver.

The 108 ambulance was going to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack from Puri district headquarters hospital after the condition of the child deteriorated.

Sources said, Purna Chandra Parida of Khataphingiria village in Brahmagiri block had admitted his son to the district headquarters hospital in Puri. Although the infant was under treatment at the hospital for five days, his condition did not improve. His condition deteriorated on Saturday and doctors advised Parida to take him to SCB.

Parida along with other family members was en route to SCB in a 108 ambulance when the baby’s condition showed slight improvement and the family members requested the ambulance driver to take them to a nearby hospital instead. However, the driver stopped the ambulance at a secluded place and asked them to get down and sped away Parida alleged.

The family members then hired an auto-rickshaw to reach Sakhigopal hospital where the infant was declared dead.

The angry family members reached the district headquarters hospital and closed down the office of the chief district medical officer demanding stringent action against the ambulance driver.

The ADMO intervened and pacified the agitators.

“We had referred the child to SCB after his condition deteriorated. However, the family members alleged the ambulance staff abandoned them half way. We will investigate as to why the ambulance driver dumped them,” ADMO said.