Ambulance Driver's Delayed Response Allegedly Costs Young Malaria Patient Her Life

Driver stops ambulance 'seeing' leopard, patient dies (Representative AI image)BHOPAL: A 20-year-old malaria patient being ferried to the hospital in an ambulance died after the driver stopped en route after allegedly spotting a leopard in Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district on Monday.The patient's kin accused the ambulance driver and medical attendant of demanding extra money to resume the journey. Health officials filed a police complaint, following which the accused duo was arrested Tuesday.The patient, Gayatri Uikey, a resident of Jatta village in Birsa block - about 95km from Balaghat district HQ - had been admitted to Birsa CHC on Sunday evening. When her condition worsened, doctors referred her to Balaghat district hospital.The ambulance left the CHC around 10pm but reached the district hospital only around 12.15am - a journey that normally takes just over 60 minutes, delayed by a couple of hours.Kin claim staff demanded extra ₹700 fareThe patient's family alleged that on the way, the ambulance stopped in a forested area after staff claimed to have seen a leopard.When Gayatri's kin repeatedly urged the driver to continue moving, citing her condition, the accused allegedly demanded Rs 700 extra; finally settling for Rs 600.While both parties were haggling over the money, Gayatri's health deteriorated further, and she succumbed soon after reaching the hospital.Birsa PS in-charge Rewal Singh Warde said the accused were produced in court, which remanded them in police custody. Apart from relevant BNS sections, police invoked provisions of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the duo. District authorities also initiated departmental proceedings against the accused."During preliminary investigation, the patient's family members informed that as soon as the doctors at Birsa referred her to the district hospital, the ambulance staff began asking for money even though the service is free. They forced them to pay Rs 600 and later demanded more after pulling over on the way," Warde said.