A man suffering from diabetic complications died in front of his house even as an ambulance refused to take him to hospital in Berhampur in Odisha’s Ganjam district on Monday.
The heart-rending video of the victim’s minor son aged around 13 years pleading with the ambulance driver has since gone viral.
The incident took place at Prahlad Nagar in Berhampur city. Around 11 a.m., Manoj Praharaj (40), who was said to be chronic diabetic, complained of uneasiness. His family members immediately called 108 Ambulance.
Family members were about to shift him to the ambulance when the driver said the symptoms were of COVID-19 and only 104 Ambulance would attend the patient.
With time running out and condition fast deteriorating, family members and neighbours requested the ambulance driver to rush the patient to hospital.
When the driver did not pay any heed to the requests, the victim’s minor son pleaded with him for help. The boy is heard saying, “I do not want to listen to anything, you [ambulance driver] have to take my father to hospital.”
“The ambulance had come to my house, but refused to take my father. And my father died in front of our house. The driver said 108 Ambulance cannot take the patient to hospital. He said we should contact 104 Helpline for further help,” said the child.
Virus scare
The man finally died before being taken to hospital. In the second week of July, a man squirmed with pain for hours before succumbing in Sriram Nagar of Berhampur. Neither passers-by nor ambulance staff came forward to shift him into the vehicle. The ambulance driver had then refused to help for fear of catching infection.