THIRUVANANTHAPURAM /ALUVA:A 65-year-old man hailing from Aluva collapsed and died on Sasthamangalam-Pippinmoodu roadside on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Rajan of Panayikulam, near Aluva.
Meanwhile, there were reports of complaints from passersby, who came to the sick man’s aid, that despite repeated requests from them and even from a policeman at the scene, the 108 ambulance service failed to respond saying that there was no ambulance available.
A doctor, who came to the scene, had administered CPR and alerted the Cantonment police. Finally, the police took him to the Medical college hospital in their ambulance.
However, by the time he had breathed his last.The Museum police said that Rajan was working with a company undertaking painting works on contract and had come to the city as part of his work. According to them, Rajan had earlier undergone treatment for cardiac ailment.The body has been shifted to the medical college mortuary pending autopsy which is to be conducted after the arrival of his relatives from Ernakulam.Kerala Medical Service Corporation deputy manager and Ambulance Control Room coordinator Rajeev Sekhar said three of the ambulances deployed at Vattiyoorkavu, Peroorkada and Thycaud near Sasthamangalam was under repair. According to him, two of them got repaired by evening.Rajeev said as the ambulance services are now directly operated by state governments they had to follow guidelines in this regard. “We have to abide by the norms for tender process in case of repair and purchase of spare parts.In such a scenario it will take its own time,” he said.
However, he said that streamlining of services are expected to be completed in a month. The efforts to contact Health Minister V S Sivakumar did not succeed as he was busy with UDF election conventions.