JOIN USA 28-year-old man was knocked down by an unknown vehicle near Hamsa Farm, off Magadi Road, west Bengaluru, on Monday night. But the driver of ‘108’ ambulance, which arrived to his rescue, reportedly dillydallied in taking him to hospital citing absence of a paramedic.
The police said Maruti, a native of Gangavathi who was working as a labourer in Seegehalli, was on a walk when the vehicle hit him. He suffered a serious head injury. Passersby called the police, who rushed to the spot and called an ambulance. The police and eyewitnesses said the driver refused to take the patient to hospital as there was no paramedic in the ambulance.
But S S Pervez, senior manager, GVK EMRI, the firm which runs the ambulance service, said some “miscommunication” had caused the confusion. He said the helpline ‘108’ received a call about the accident at 8.42 pm and sent an ambulance within 16 minutes.
“The patient was taken to Pooja Hospital, which is close to the accident spot, for first aid. The ambulance waited at the spot for over an hour. Later, he was taken to Nimhans where doctors had referred him,” Pervez said. He denied the accusation that there was no paramedic in the ambulance.
The police, however, said they had to send a home guard, Shivaraj, along with the driver when the victim was taken to Pooja Hospital. He was later moved to another hospital owing to his head injuries, they said.