YCM Hospital Ambulance Incident : Driver, Ward Boy Suspended After Elderly Patient Falls
Patient fell from a moving ambulance while being shifted to Sassoon Hospital; safety checks under scrutiny
Pimpri-Chinchwad : The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has suspended an ambulance driver and a ward boy after an elderly patient fell from a moving ambulance while being transferred from YCM Hospital to Sassoon Hospital in Pune for further treatment.
The suspended employees have been identified as driver Ajitkumar Bhagat and ward boy Gajanan Thombre.
According to eyewitnesses, the elderly patient fell from the ambulance because its door was not properly closed. After realising that the patient had fallen, the ambulance, which had moved ahead, reportedly returned to the spot. The driver then placed the patient back inside the ambulance and left the scene, eyewitnesses said.
Following the incident, the civic administration had initially issued notices to the driver and ward boy. The PCMC has now taken disciplinary action against both employees by suspending them.
However, questions remain over the safety measures followed before the ambulance was dispatched. It is yet to be established whether a proper safety inspection was conducted before the vehicle left the hospital.
Authorities are also examining whether the incident occurred due to a technical defect in the ambulance door or stretcher locking mechanism, or negligence on the part of the staff.
Additional Health Medical Officer Dr Abhaychandra Dadevar said the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the possible technical defects and lapses in safety precautions, were being examined.
