Odisha man dies as ambulance staff refuse to carry him to hospital suspecting him to be COVID-19 positive (Representational Image)
A man died in Odisha's Berhampur on Monday allegedly after ambulance staff refused to take him to a hospital suspecting him to be a COVID-19 patient.
Manoj Kumar Praharaj, a resident of Prahlad Nagar in Berhampur, was suffering from fever since the last several days. His health condition deteriorated on Monday after which his family members called emergency services.
A 108 ambulance reached the spot but its staff refused to carry Manoj to the hospital citing that he had fever and suspected him of being a coronavirus patient.
As per media reports, the people in the neighborhood saw Manoj’s minor son pleading the staff of the ambulance to take his father to the hospital. But the ambulance staff refused to budge.
Later, the family members had to hire an auto-rickshaw to take Manoj to the hospital as the ambulance returned back.
Meanwhile, Manoj stopped breathing while he was being taken from his house to the vehicle. His family held the ambulance staff responsible for his death.
“A 108 ambulance came after we called but they did not take my father to the hospital saying that he was a COVID patient. The staff of the hospital said that another vehicle (104) will come and take him to the hospital. After the vehicle left, we arranged an auto-rickshaw to take him to the hospital as my father’s condition was very critical. however, he breathed his last before boarding the vehicle,” Kalinga TV quoted Manosh Praharaj as saying.
