Pimpri-Chinchwad suspends ambulance driver and ward boy after patient falls onto road
PCMC suspended an ambulance driver and ward boy at YCM Hospital after an elderly patient fell from a moving ambulance, and is checking safety procedures.
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has suspended an ambulance driver and a ward boy at Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital after an elderly patient fell onto the road from a moving ambulance, Pune Mirror reported.
The incident
The patient was critical, and doctors at YCM Hospital had advised shifting him to Sassoon Hospital in Pune. He was placed on a stretcher in the ambulance, but the rear door was allegedly not properly locked. According to the report, the door swung open while the vehicle was moving and the patient fell out with the stretcher. Eyewitnesses said the driver initially did not notice, then reversed, lifted the patient back in and continued to Sassoon Hospital. The video went viral on social media. The patient is receiving treatment at Sassoon Hospital.
Action and inquiry
PCMC first issued show-cause notices and later ordered the suspensions. Dr Abhaychandra Dadewar, Additional Health and Medical Officer, said the civic body is examining whether a safety check was done before dispatch and whether there was a technical defect in the door and stretcher locks, or whether staff failed to take necessary precautions.
Why it matters for ambulance owners and drivers
- Checking door and stretcher locks before every dispatch is a basic safety step.
- Both driver and attendant can face action when a patient is endangered.
Read the full report at the source: Pune Mirror
This is a summary written by the Ambulance Owner Association. The facts are from the source named above.