
KANNUR: Police have booked a doctor from Pinarayi who has been identified as the driver of the SUV that reportedly obstructed the passage of an ambulance carrying a critically ill heart patient at Eranholi in Kannur on Thursday. The patient later died en route to hospital.
After the ambulance driver filed a complaint, Kadirur police registered a case against Dr Rahul Raj, a paediatrician at a private hospital. He was arrested on Friday night and released on bail. The motor vehicle department fined Rahul Rs 5,000. He faces charges under section 285 (causing danger or obstruction in public spaces) and 194E (failing to give way to emergency vehicles) of the Motor Vehicles Act.
The incident happened around 5.25 pm on Thursday. Rukiya was being tranferred to a private hospital in Thalassery on the advice of doctors of Mattanur Mission Hospital after her heart condition worsened. The ambulance carrying Rukiya left the hospital at 5 pm. It was impeded by the SUV on Nayanar Road.
“The patient was in critical condition. The accompanying nurse was administering CPR. We were trying to reach the hospital as quickly as possible. Despite having space on the road, the car driver refused to give way. Even after continuous honking for nearly half a minute, the SUV blocked our path,” ambulance driver Sarath K told TNIE.
It was unintentional, doctor tells police
The incident was captured on video, which is now circulating widely on social media.
“The driver moved only when the road cleared, but by then, it was too late. I have submitted the video evidence and filed a complaint with Kadirur police and the Mattanur regional transport office (RTO),” Sarath added.
Rukiya’s family, who were travelling in a separate vehicle behind the ambu-lance, were initially un-aware of the reason for the delay.
Dr Rahul told the police that the incident was unintentional. “Dr Rahul told us he panicked when he noticed an ambulance behind him in traffic. He said due to the traffic congestion, he was unable to give way to the ambulance immediately. He said as soon as the road cleared, he moved his car to the side,” stated a police officer at the Kadirur station.