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| COVID-19 fear : Man dies as ambulance driver refuses to take him to hospital | | | Saahil Suhail
Early Times Report
Anantnag, May 14: A 45-year-old man in Kokernag area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district died after an ambulance driver of the Health Department allegedly refused to take him to hospital suspecting that he was a coronavirus patient.
Deceased Mukhtar Ahmad Khari, resident of Bachkannard Gadool Tribal village of Kokernag was sick and needed immediate hospitalization. However the family members and relatives of the deceased alleged that the ambulance driver refused to take him to hospital causing his death.
“My brother was operated a few months ago. Few days back his condition deteriorated and at around 9:00 am we rang the ambulance driver but he refused to shift our brother to hospital,” deceased’s brother Taj Din Khari told Early Times over phone.
He alleged that his family made several calls to the ambulance driver till 11:00am but the ambulance driver didn’t agree to shift the patient.
“He kept telling us that he wouldn’t put his life at risk as an encounter between security forces and militants was going on in the area,” Khari alleged.
The family members and relatives who held a protest before a media team alleged that the tribal community was being ignored and being denied basic rights intentionally.
“We told the ambulance driver that security forces never stop the movement of ambulances but he didn’t listen,” they said.
They said that the family later hired a private vehicle and shifted the patient to Sub-Centre Gadool Kokernag where a doctor telephoned the ambulance driver and requested him to shift the patient to Primary Health Centre Larnoo but again he declined.
“Doctor at Sub-Centre Gadool Kokernag also told him to shift the patient but he refused despite the fact the doctor conveyed to him that the patient’s oxygen level was dipping,” they said.
Mukhtar Ahmad Khari, who has left behind three daughters, three sons and wife, died in a private vehicle at Laroo Kokernag.
The ambulance driver in question told the media that he refused to shift the patient because he doesn’t have protective gears.
“I told the family that this ambulance is for shifting pregnant ladies to hospital and not for COVID-19 Patients. I immediately informed my office and requested them to arrange an ambulance for the shifting patient. I was told to wait till the encounter ends,” Driver Bilal Ahmad said.
He said that he hasn’t provided any protective gears by the department
Director Health Services Kashmir, Dr Mushtaq Ahmad Rather wasn’t available for a comment as he didn’t attend repeated calls from Early Times.
However, Block Medical Officer Dr Gowher said he has taken suo-moto cognizance of this matter. “We will constitute a committee for a fair probe and I will myself visit the family,” Dr Gowher told Early Times.
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