Bengaluru: Drunk ambulance driver spooks accident victim

BENGALURU: In Malleshwaram recently a bike accident victim was bleeding profusely. Allegedly he didn’t get any help from the three beat policemen who were on their night rounds. An ambulance  that was called immediately by passersby was not of much use either. The ambulance driver arrived in a drunken state, that too after a 30-minute delay.

Finally, the victim was taken to hospital by the onlookers who had gathered around. The incident reportedly took place on August 9, at around 12.30 am, near K C General Hospital in Malleshwaram police station limits.

Speaking to DC, an eye-witness, Vydurya Lokesh narrated, “The accident occurred at around 12.32 am and we called for the ambulance on 108 five minutes later, after seeing the accident victim bleeding profusely. He had visible injuries and fractures on his body.”

Vydurya, who reported what she had seen on the Bengaluru traffic police official page, stated in her plaint to the additional commissioner of police, (Traffic & Security) M A Saleem, that there were three night beat policemen present at the spot attached to Malleshwaram police station, but none of them bothered to take the victim to hospital or render any assistance while he lay unconscious  on the road.

“While we waited for the ambulance to arrive, a passerby offered to take the accident victim to a nearby hospital at around 12.50 am. Even then the ambulance had not arrived,” she added. What followed, shocked Vydurya. After much delay when the ambulance finally arrived at the spot, the driver was drunk and didn’t know where to go. “The driver was intoxicated and didn’t even register the fact that the victim had already been taken to hospital. When we reprimanded the driver, he admitted that he was drunk and had slept in a drunken stupor which led to the delay. When asked from where he had come, the driver claimed that the ambulance was stationed at K C General Hospital,” the eye-witness added.

Speaking with this newspaper, Manjunath, medical superintendent, K C General Hospital said, “The authorities were not aware of any such incident. The call was made at 108 for an ambulance. This doesn’t concern or involve our hospital as it is out of our bounds and falls under Emergency Management and Research Institute. But, the hospital provides space to these ambulances to park their vehicles in the hospital premises, which is why the driver would have said that he was stationed at K C General Hospital.  However, the matter has been brought to my notice and I will initiate an enquiry at the earliest over this incident.”

Despite being questioned by the cops, no drunken driving case was booked against the erring ambulance driver. When DC contacted additional commissioner of police (traffic) M A Saleem he said, “In such cases, a complaint has to be registered with the hospital authority to which the ambulance belongs. They will take the necessary action against the erring driver.”

Meanwhile, speaking with DC, Sayyed Suhail Parveez, spokesperson from the Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI), said, “The ambulance number provided by the complainant belongs to EMRI – Malleshwaram with registration number 294. We will initiate an inquest into the matter and if the facts are found to be true, strict action will be taken against the erring driver.”