BENGALURU: While the city police are urging people to help road accident victims, a driver of 108 ambulance services is in dock after he allegedly refused to take a 28-year-old victim of a hit-and-run accident on Monday night.
According to the police, the accident had taken place around 8.30 pm near Sigehalli Gate in Taverekere on the city’s outskirts. The victim, identified as Maruthi, a resident of Gangavati in Koppal and a coolie by profession, was crossing the road when an unidentified vehicle knocked him down.
Passers-by rushed to his help and one of them alerted the ambulance service and the police. The ambulance reached the spot at around 8.42 pm, but when the staff noticed Maruthi lying on the road and writhing in pain, they reportedly refused to take him citing the reason that the hospital would not admit anyone without an attendant.
The investigating officer told Deccan Chronicle, “Soon after receiving the information we rushed to the spot and shifted the victim to nearby Pooja Hospital, where the doctors referred him to Nimhans. When the driver was asked to take the road accident victim to Nimhans, he refused and said that there was no attendant with the victim. He agreed only when we sent Shivraj, a home guard attached to our police jurisdiction, along with the victim, which led to the delay in his treatment.”
He further said that the cops are in constant touch with the attendant by name Venkatesh to keep a check on Maruthi’s condition, who is said to be serious.
“Taking a serious note of the delay by the ambulance driver, the Taverekere police will be submitting the report,” the police officer added. The police have also registered a case of hit and run and trying to trace the erring vehicle and the driver.
Clarifying on the incident, Suhale Parveez, Senior Manager of GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute (GVK EMRI), said, “We received a call at 8.42 pm and the nearest ambulance was sent to the spot. By the time the ambulance reached the spot, the locals had already used another ambulance, which belonged to a nearby Pooja hospital, which led to the confusion. The locals were agitated and wanted to rush the patient immediately, but our driver waited for over an hour till first aid was administered and then shifted the patient to Nimhans.”
