Rupsa: Tension gripped Rupsa Community Health Centre (CHC) in Balasore Thursday after the driver of a Janani Express (102 Ambulance) van allegedly abused a pregnant woman.
The driver was summoned to shift the woman to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) but allegedly demanded Rs 500 as fare.
The driver threatened the patient and her kin. Upset over the misconduct of the ambulance driver, the woman’s family hired a private van in which she was taken to the DHH.
Angry people detained the ambulance and the driver. Medical Officer Dr Binay Kumar Dasmohapatra tried to pacify the protesters.
Notably, Mamata Behera of Mirigimundi was admitted to Rupsa CHC for delivery in the wee hours of Thursday. However, she was referred to the DHH. The kin of the woman sought the free service of the Janani Express van.
After several calls to the ambulance it reached late. The driver had allegedly abused the caller over the phone. As the woman and her relative got into the ambulance, the driver demanded Rs 500. When the two refused to pay, the driver threatened them.
This led to the situation turning tense with people surrounding the ambulance. The ambulance sped towards Balasore but on the way some people detained it. IIC Surath Chandra Mallick took the ambulance and the driver into custody.
PNN
