In a strange case of misuse of emergency services, Hyderabad traffic police caught an ambulance being used to carry a pet dog - with its sirens on to cut through traffic. The driver, Lakshminarayana, has been booked for misuse of emergency services.
The incident occurred close to the Panjagutta traffic police station while there was a routine check drive. The ambulance that was speeding from Himayatnagar to Madinaguda was stopped for checking. But rather than a patient, officers were shocked to discover a dog caged in the vehicle.
Driver admits misusing sirens
During interrogation, Lakshminarayana confessed he was taking the dog to Ivy Hospital in Madinaguda for a neutering operation, reports say. He even confessed to flashing the siren to drive through traffic fast, treating the journey like an emergency.
Official promptly took over the vehicle and filed a case against the driver under the charge of unauthorised use of an emergency response vehicle. The episode has fueled debate about abuse of medical transport services, and officials pointed to the requirement of tighter measures to enforce laws in this respect.
Kerala doctor booked for blocking ambulance carrying critical patient
In another incident in Kerala, a doctor in Kannur district was fined and booked for blocking an ambulance carrying a seriously ill patient. The incident occurred in Eranholi, Thalassery, and was captured on camera.
The ambulance was traveling on Nayanar Road when a car is said to have failed to give way in spite of continuous siren signals. The car driver was Rahul Raj, a doctor operating a private clinic in Iritty.
Legal action taken against doctor
Acting on a complaint by the driver of the ambulance, the doctor was booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code by Kathirur police. The patient Rukiya, who was down with a severe heart condition, was being taken to a Thalassery private hospital by doctors' prescription at Mattanur Mission Hospital.
The two incidents have sparked alarm over emergency medical services misuse and obstruction, with the authorities emphasizing the enforcement of tighter laws and sanctions to guarantee ambulances are utilised responsibly and accorded right of way on roads.
