TIRUPATI: Unable to afford a private ambulance, a man cradled his two-year-old daughter’s body in his arms and rode pillion on a motorcycle to his village at Kothapalli in Doravarisatram mandal here. The incident occurred on Thursday but came to light on Friday after a video of the father carrying the body from Naidupeta hospital went viral on social media.
According to information reaching here, the girl Chembeti Akshaya fell into a water-filled gravel pit in Kothapalli tank while playing with her four-year-old brother. A witness to the incident, Naguraiah, pulled out the children. Their parents, Ch Srinivasulu and Aruna, rushed them to Naidupeta government hospital in a 108 ambulance. The girl died before reaching the hospital.
The 108 ambulance operators expressed helplessness in shifting the body, saying they were not allowed to do so. Realising that they could not hire a private ambulance, the bereaved parents took the body on a motorcycle with the help of their friends. Responding to the incident, Additional CEO, Arogyasri Health Care Trust, Vijayawada, said 108 staff received the message of two children falling into the waterbody around 5.30 pm on Thursday.
“The staff shifted the two children to Naidupeta Community Health Care Centre in Naidupeta by around 6.30. Unfortunately, doctors declared the girl on arrival. Though the parents requested 108 operators to help shift the body back to the village, there is no such provision and it was explained to the parents,” he said.
Incidentally, a mango orchard worker had to ride a bike with the body of his 10-year-old son after ambulance operators at the SVR Ruia government general hospital here demanded Rs 20,000 for 90 kms to Chitvel in Rajampet on April 26. The operators even prevented another ambulance driver from shifting the body. Nine operators were arrested and the resident medical officer of the hospital was suspended following the incident.