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19-year-old ambulance driver killed in oxygen cylinder blast in Moga
The family of the patient had illegally brought the cylinder home and wanted the driver to check it in the absence of a technician
A 19-year-old ambulance driver was killed when an oxygen cylinder exploded at the house of a Covid-19 patient at Kokri Vehnival village in Moga district, police said on Tuesday.
The driver, Satnam Singh, had just brought the patient home from a private hospital and was checking the cylinder kept in the house when the blast occurred late on Monday night. The patient was in the ambulance and escaped unhurt.
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Satnam’s father Avtar Singh said, “The elderly patient was on oxygen support in a private hospital of Moga. But when his health deteriorated, he was referred to a level-3 hospital. The family, however, decided to take him home.”
“My son was assigned the task of driving him back home. Once there, the patient requested my son to check the oxygen cylinder as there was no technical staff of the hospital with him. The cylinder exploded in the process and my young son died on the spot,” he said.
Avtar Singh was at the civil hospital in Moga with relatives to collect the body after the post-mortem.
The use of storing oxygen cylinders at home is not allowed in Punjab. State health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu announced on Monday that oxygen concentrators will be issued for use at home on the advice of a doctor for patients post Covid-19 recovery. Oxygen cylinders are not allowed for patients in home isolation. They are to be taken to hospital to for oxygen supply
Deputy superintendent of police (city) Barjinder Singh was at the civil hospital to investigate the case. “I have informed the sub divisional magistrate and station house officer of the police station concerned to initiate further action,” he said.
