Delay in ambulance service: PMC serves show-cause notice to PMC officials, BVG manager

PUNE Following the death of a 54-year-old man from Nana peth while waiting for an ambulance on Thursday, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has served a show-cause

PUNE Following the death of a 54-year-old man from Nana peth while waiting for an ambulance on Thursday, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has served a show-cause notice to three authorities including the PMC ward officer, zonal officer and manager of the BVG group, a private company which manages the ambulance service run by the state.

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Around Thursday midnight, Yeshudas Moti Francis, 54, collapsed outside a public toilet in his colony in Nana peth. His family had installed a chair outside the tin containment seal right outside the lane where their house is located. However, the 108 ambulance failed to arrive even after repeated phone calls, according to family members. The ambulance service is run by the state government of Maharashtra and is managed by the BVG group, a private company.

“We have issued notices to three authorities and sought a detailed response on why did the ambulance not report. Action will be taken based on their response,” said PMC Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad.

According to Dr Dnyaneshwar Shelke of BVG’s Emergency Medical Service (EMS) they have not received any show-cause notice. “I am hearing this information form you (HT),” he said.

“A person named Sofian had called and he said that the person is dead. As per protocol of 108, the ambulance was not dispatched as they wanted a hearse and the doctor told them that 108 does not provide hearses,” said Dr Shelke.

“The second call was from a police officer and he said there was an unknown unconscious person. The ambulance reached the location thinking it is a separate patient. The location of the ambulance is on record. They called the police, but could not connect or find them. The ambulance stayed there for some time before returning,” said Dr Shelke.

“We are serving patients all over the state. So far we have served 71,000 corona patients - either suspected or positive. Why will we refuse service?” he added.

Havaldar Deepak Tatey and Hawaldar Dhanaji Gophane of Samarth police station were with the family till the end and finally stopped a vehicle carrier tempo which took Francis to Sassoon General Hospital around 4 am on Friday.

“We have called for call recording from 108 service. We are checking there was misinformation from either of the sides. Once we have the recordings from the ambulance service, we will ask the police what had happened,” said Nitin Udas, deputy commissioner, PMC.

The PMC officials have, however, not contacted the family.

“Some news was published that the police had not helped us. So the only visit we got was from the police asking us why we had said so. We assured them that we had not said anything of that sort,” said Shobha Francis, wife of the deceased man.

The family is reeling from the loss and are worried about the financial future that awaits them post the pandemic is over.

The family now comprises of two sisters of the deceased man, his wife and his son, Max Francis, 23, who works as an office boy at a local private company.

“First the police came, then we went to the cemetery to mark the third day since his death. And now we are sitting at home,” said Shobha.

The police have also agreed that the ambulance service had caused the delay and had a history of such instances in the past two months.