Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jun 10: The driver of an ambulance had filed a police complaint, accusing a shopkeeper at Falnir here of insulting him. The driver said that he had brought a patient from Sullia to Wenlock Hospital here when the incident happened.

"The driver of Sri Ganesh Ambulance had brought a patient from Sullia to the city on June 6. The patient had died at the hospital. Two small children of the patient were in the ambulance. The driver approached a shop near Falnir to get water and biscuits for the children. On seeing the driver of the ambulance, the owner of the shop spoke ill of the driver. He advised ambulance drivers against visiting shops as they bring corona infection with them. He also said that the drivers get all government facilities. He also threw away the money the driver had presented to buy water and biscuits. A complaint in this regard has been filed in the local police station," said a person named Asif.

Asif said that he had visited the said shop in the afternoon to talk to him about insulting his driver. "The experience of the driver in the morning was repeated then. We have been shouldering responsibility as ambulance drivers and supporting the initiatives of the government. We do not check what disease the patient suffers from when bringing him to the hospital as our paramount duty is to save his life. We have been serving even though we have not been given any gloves, masks, sanitizers etc by the government. During the lockdown too we have extended help to others. We are hurt the way we are treated and we want to assert that we too are human beings," he said.

Owner of Sri Ganesh Ambulance, Gangadhar, said that a police complaint has been filed in this regard to ensure that ambulance drivers do not come across derisive behaviour repeatedly.