Chennai: 108 ambulance driver stabbed by gang hired by patient's caretaker

Chennai: Elayaraja, 35, a 108 ambulance driver, was, along with a colleague in the vehicle, assaulted in the wee hours of Monday.The driver from Dharmapuri, who resides in Teynampet, was assigned to pick up an emergency case from Thomas Road, Teynampet, at 10 pm on Monday. The patient, Chandran, was accompanied by caregiver Lakshmi Manimegalai.

“She misplaced her bag and questioned the driver. She picked up a quarrel with the ambulance crew,” said Prabhudoss B, head, marketing and hospital relations, GVK EMRI, which operates the 108 Helpline. The woman called for four boys who stabbed the driver causing him injuries. He was taken to the Government Roypettah hospital. He is also said to have filed a complaint with the Teynampet police station.

Stating that such practices are discouraged, Prabhudoss said, “Usually, patients and their kin tend to panic and are highly stressed during such emergencies. We do whatever it takes to calm them down. However, this was unexpected. We have never encountered something like this in the past in the city. Elayaraja is completely fine now.”