Patient Falls from Moving Ambulance; YCMH Issues Notices to Two Staffers
Stretcher wheels and rear door allegedly left unsecured during transfer to Sassoon Hospital; viral video sparks safety concerns
PIMPRI-CHINCHWAD : The administration of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation-run Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH) has issued notices to an ambulance driver and a hospital staffer after a homeless patient fell out of a moving ambulance while being transferred to Sassoon General Hospital on Saturday night.
The incident occurred outside YCMH in Pimpri and came to light after a video showing the patient falling onto the road went viral on social media, raising concerns over lapses in patient safety during ambulance transfers.
YCMH dean Dr Rajendra Wable confirmed that notices had been issued to the two employees. A police personnel was also travelling in the ambulance as per protocol.
According to hospital officials, the stretcher’s wheels had not been locked in place and the ambulance’s rear door had not been secured properly. The staffer assigned to accompany the patient in the rear of the vehicle was allegedly seated in the front passenger seat instead.
Officials said the driver was apparently unaware that the patient had struck the rear doors and fallen out of the moving ambulance.
The video shows the ambulance continuing without stopping immediately after the patient fell. Bystanders gathered at the spot and moved the patient and stretcher to the roadside. The ambulance returned approximately 90 seconds later.
In the footage, a man in police uniform can be heard pointing out that the rear door had not been secured properly, while the driver appears to blame the hospital staffer for failing to secure the stretcher.
Hospital officials said the patient had been brought to YCMH with an infection. He was being referred to Sassoon General Hospital because the civic-run facility lacked the necessary facilities for his treatment.
The issuance of notices is expected to help establish responsibility for the lapses. Further details regarding the patient’s condition and the outcome of the hospital’s inquiry were not immediately available.
