The patient had sustained injuries in an accident at Birla, and after conducting an examination, the Cottage Hospital medical officer referred him to GMC, Bambolim due to lack of X-ray facilities. However, he refused to provide an ambulance, even though one was available.
According to information, at around 2.30 pm on Thursday, accident victim Sohail Shaikh (14) was brought to the casualty section of Cottage Hospital. The medical officer conducted an examination and asked the victim’s family to take him to GMC or a private hospital as the X-ray unit at Cottage Hospital was under repairs.
As the boy belonged to a labour class family from the Zuarinagar slums, the relatives requested the doctor to provide an ambulance as it was idle in the hospital premises.
However, despite their repeated requests, the doctors refused to give them an ambulance and asked them to wait. He told them that the hospital was waiting for more referral cases to arrive, and sending a lone case to GMC would not be good idea as the patient was not seriously injured.
“The doctors were in no mood to hear our pleas and flatly refused to provide an ambulance, citing that the same is kept for emergency purpose. They suggested that we arrange for 108 or any private ambulance service,” said Nabi Shaikh, Sohail’s father.
While the family was waiting for an ambulance to be provided, another government ambulance reached the hospital with a load of New Year diaries and calendars. This agitated and upset them even more.
The issue was later brought to the notice of the Cottage Hospital health officer and advisory committee as well as a few municipal councillors, and after a two-hour wait, Sohail was taken to GMC.
Meanwhile, Cottage Hospital health officer Sanjay Dalvi, while refuting the charges made against the doctors, informed that the doctors had not refused to provide an ambulance, but they had actually asked the patient’s family to wait for some time. However, he assured to look into the matter and then comment.
