Alleging that his 66-year-old mother died at the SCB Medical College Hospital here late on Sunday night after being thrown on the ground by an ambulance van staffer, a man lodged a complaint with the Mangalabag police against van staff on Monday.
According to hospital sources, the victim, Parbati Mishra, a paralytic patient of Dandamukundapur of Pipili block, was admitted to the hospital on November 4. She was initially admitted at the Emergency ward but was later shifted to the Medicine ward as per the advice of doctors treating her. Acting on the advice of the doctors, the victim’s kin informed the ‘We Care’ Ambulance which arrived late.
Trouble started when the ambulance staff, while taking the old woman on a stretcher, demanded Rs 400 for shifting her to the Medicine ward located on the third floor of the hospital. The kin of the patient refused to pay arguing that ‘We Care’ is a free service provided to patients. Enraged by this, the ambulance staff allegedly threw the woman with the stretcher on the ground, resulting in severe injuries on her head.