Taking cognizance of the news published in a Jammu based Daily print media, suspension of an Ambulance driver posted in SDH Sunderbani, district Rajouri has been ordered, after a detailed enquiry found the driver of the Ambulance guilty on various counts.The media report has brought out that the Ambulance driver has charged Rs 1800 as referral transport charges from the patients injured in an accident took place in Sunderbani area of district Rajouri.It has been reported that Administration of SDH Sunderbani provided an ambulance to the injured persons to reach Jammu in time but they were charged by the driver.Pertinently, a truck loaded with apples was on way to Jammu from Srinagar via Mughal road which met with an accident near Siot area after the loaded truck skidded off the road and turned turtle. The ill-fated truck had three persons in it which included a driver, conductor and the fruit owner who sustained serious injuries after the incident. Alert locals rushed them to SDH Sunderbani where doctors gave them first-aid and referred all the three to GMCH Jammu for advanced treatment.
Acting swiftly on the media report, the DDC Rajouri Mohammad Aijaz Asad directed CMO Rajouri to conduct a detailed enquiry and submit the report, after which the CMO sought an explanation from BMO Sunderbani. BMO submitted his detailed enquiry vide letter no. BMO/SB/1134-36 dated 30.09.2018.The report clearly mentioned that the patients were referred to GMC with directions given to the driver by SDH Administration Sunderbani not to charge patients as the said expenditure shall be borne out of Hospital development fund. But the driver in contravention to the directions passed flouted the norms and charged Rs 1800 as referral transport charges from the patients. Hence, the enquiry report held the driver guilty as he took transport charges to shift patients to GMC which otherwise is provided to the patients free of cost. The driver has been directed to refund the amount charged for the ambulance services.The DC Rajouri, after going through the enquiry report submitted by CMO Rajouri, ordered suspension of the driver of the Ambulance in question. He directed the CMO to issue clear guidelines to their subordinate staff for treating patients with empathy and not violate the set protocol.