8-hour delay in ambulance arrival leads to teen’s death

Sarika’s kidneys were failing. Daughter of a weaver Anandan, she had been undergoing dialysis at Kancheepuram Government Hospital for a year.

Having visited the hospital on Sunday, she completed her course in the morning, but her condition worsened post 12 noon. The hospital immediately referred her to be shifted to RGGGH, but had no driver to take her in the hospital’s ambulance. Authorities called the 108-ambulance service, but it failed to arrive even after 7 pm.

A relative of the child said that she began vomiting blood, after which the people called the Joint Director, seeking his intervention. “He did not show much interest, stating that it was impossible to avail an ambulance on a Sunday evening,” said the relative.

The public then called the District Collector, who immediately called the hospital and warned them that if they failed to get an ambulance, he would rush to the hospital.

Sources said that within 10 minutes of his call, a 108-ambulance arrived at the hospital and Sarika was taken with her family to the RGGGH for further treatment, but she succumbed on the way to the hospital. Blaming the delay in ambulance service, her relatives and public demanded action be taken against the hospital and took her body back to Kancheepuram.

Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan said, “The hospital had said that they informed 108 and the ambulance service claimed it had got only one call, which had not been escalated to the next level. Whether the error was in not escalating it to the next level or on the part of the hospital is something that has to be looked into. We have called for an enquiry on Monday and necessary action will be taken. The District Collector also assured the family that the issue would be looked into.