Kushinagar tragedy: Two ambulance drivers terminated

GORAKHPUR: Two days after 13 people drowned in a well during a pre-wedding ritual in Kushinagar, the administration swung into action and terminated the contract of two CHC ambulance drivers for being drunk on duty and taking more than two hours to reach the spot.
On Friday, Kushinagar chief medical officer CMO Dr Suresh Pataria also suspended CHC pharmacist Dharmendra Gupta and transferred Nebua Naurangia CHC in-charge Dr Awdhesh Kushwaha.The CMO said the two ambulance drivers — Goli Ram and Ramjeevan — associated with the Nebua Naurangia CHC were found inebriated during duty hours. Gupta was missing from duty without any notice, while Dr Kushwaha was not able to control the situation well.
After the accident, ASDM Padrauna Vyas Umrao initiated a probe and submitted the report to the Kushinagar DM. As per the report, the two ambulance drivers were found to be intoxicated. The CMO took action on the directions of the DM.
The dead included five minors and eight women, who had converged at a house in Nebua Naurangia village of the district to participate in a pre-wedding ritual. People of Naurangia and surrounding villages where 13 people drowned in a well on Wednesday night, blocked NH 28 B on Thursday, claiming that the ambulances reached the site late and also the victims were not attended to in time by the doctors at the local community health centre.