CUTTACK: In a tragic incident, a 35-year-old patient died after the ambulance carrying him broke down midway between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, while oxygen support ran out before a replacement vehicle could arrive, here on Friday.
Prakash Kumar Kandi was being shifted from the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar when the incident occurred on the bridge over Kathajodi river, just outside Cuttack city.
Family members alleged that the ambulance ran out of fuel, but police attributed the incident to a technical snag. The incident came amid reports of panic buying and a fuel crisis, with long queues seen at petrol pumps.
A native of Govindpur village under Derabish police limits in Kendrapara district, Kandi was undergoing treatment after allegedly consuming poison. When his condition became critical, he was being shifted to Bhubaneswar.
Kandi’s family members alleged that the ambulance suddenly stopped in the middle of the bridge after running out of fuel. The delay led to the patient’s death, they claimed.
“Despite requests, no one extended help by sharing fuel from their vehicles. It took around half an hour for another ambulance to reach the spot and, by that time, the oxygen supply had also run out and the patient had died,” alleged Jharana Das, Kandi’s sister-in-law.
The family members accused the ambulance operator of negligence and demanded stringent action. “The ambulance operator should have ensured that the vehicle was fuelled and oxygen cylinders were adequately stocked before leaving Cuttack for Bhubaneswar,” Das alleged.
Chief district medical officer of Cuttack, Dr Prasant Kumar Hota, said an inquiry had been initiated into the incident and a detailed report had been sought from the ambulance operator.
Police, however, ruled out the possibility of the ambulance running out of fuel. “There was sufficient fuel in the vehicle, which broke down due to a mechanical defect in the gearbox,” said additional IIC of Cuttack Sadar police station, Sushant Pani. Pani, who conducted a preliminary inquiry, said neither the driver nor the owner of the private ambulance was found near the vehicle.
Bibhuti Bhusan Kandi, elder brother of the deceased, filed an FIR with Derabish police station in connection with the incident, following which the body was seized and sent to Kendrapara hospital for postmortem.