BHUBANESWAR: The ‘death in ambulance’ controversy in the City deepened on Thursday as the CCTV footage of the vehicle’s travel revealed that it reached the destination in 20 minutes against the claim of one hour and 20 minutes!After scanning the CCTV footage of the entire stretch covered by the ambulance carrying five-year-old Pratik from Capital Hospital to KIMS on Tuesday, the police found that the emergency vehicle reached the private healthcare institution in 20 minutes. It has put the claims of travel time of 1 hour and 20 minutes in question.
The ambulance did not pass via AG Square and travelled on the route behind Bhubaneswar Club and exited near the Governor’s House. Sources said the emergency vehicle crossed Governor’s House at about 10.01 am, crossed 120 Battalion at 10.02 am, Nalco Square at 10.10 am and reached KIMS at 10.19 am.
“During peak traffic time at 7 pm, a vehicle can cover the said distance in 40 minutes. So, the allegation that the ambulance took over an hour to reach Patia when the traffic density is least during noon is not reasonable,” a police officer said.
Sources said the police verified the CCTV footage at Nalco Square between 10 am and 1 pm and found that about eight ambulances travelled on the stretch on Tuesday without facing any traffic congestion.
The ambulance carrying the boy was not a Government vehicle and was not equipped with the necessary life support systems, they added. Pratik was being rushed to the private hospital at Patia after his condition deteriorated. The doctors had referred him to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack but the family chose to move him to the private hospital in the city to save time. However, he could not be saved.