Barasat: An eight-month old infant died after the driver of a free-ambulance service allegedly refused to take her from the district hospital in Barasat to another medical facility in Kolkata without being paid.
Eight-month-old Sohani Sultana, from Jatrapota area of Amdanga in North 24 Parganas district, was admitted to the Barasat state general hospital with respiratory distress a couple of days ago.
She was referred to the hospital in Kolkata for further treatment and when her parents tried to avail the free ambulance facility, the driver allegedly refused to ply his vehicle and haggled for payment for plying the ambulance.
The relatives of the infant protested over the driver asking for money resulting in a heated argument. The delay led to the worsening of the condition of the baby after which she soon died.
"The ambulance service is a private one and operates under the state government's Jana Jibon Suraksha Yojana. They are supposed to ferry needy patients free of cost. We have received complaints from the baby's parents and a three-member fact finding committee has been set up to probe the incident," said Chief Medical Officer, Health, Dr Prahlad Acharya.
Angry residents protested outside the hospital after news of the baby's death spread and also blocked the road for a brief period.
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