‘Drunk’ 108 ambulance driver delays emergency transport of pregnant woman in Odisha

An 108 ambulance transporting a pregnant woman reportedly came to a halt midway in the R. Udayagiri area of Gajapati district in Odisha due to the driver being allegedly drunk. This incident prompted the family to arrange alternative transport to reach the hospital. 

The incident occurred while the patient was being referred from Chandragiri Medical Centre to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur for advanced care late Thursday night.

Family Claims Driver Was Intoxicated

According to Vijay Raita, the pregnant woman's husband, the ambulance allegedly stopped in the middle of the road. The driver drove rashly and appeared to be drunk. He then stopped the ambulance and went to sleep. 

“The 108 ambulance driver started driving very rashly and suddenly stopped the ambulance in the middle of the road due to being heavily drunk. We were scared in case something would happen to her, so I booked a private vehicle and took her to the hospital,” he stated.

As per the allegations of the family, they hired another vehicle around 1:00 am to continue the journey. Vijay said he was compelled to make this arrangement to avoid risking his wife’s condition.

Hospital In-Charge Refutes Alcohol Allegation

The hospital in charge denied the allegation of intoxication, stating that the driver had suddenly fallen ill, which led him to stop the vehicle. They stated that his illness caused him to fall asleep and not drive further.

Community Expresses Concern Over Delay

Locals and the patient’s family have condemned the incident, pointing out that the woman was experiencing contractions and complications could have occurred due to the delay. 

No official response was received from the 108 ambulance authorities regarding the matter.