Ambulance driver suspended for demanding 'referral transport charges'

An ambulance driver was suspended for alleged dereliction of duty in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, officials said Monday.

Giving details of the incident, the official said a truck loaded with apples skidded off the road and turned turtle near Siot area, leaving three people injured.

Subsequently, the injured persons were rushed to the Sub-Divisional Hospital in Sunderbani, where doctors gave them first aid and referred all the three people to the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital here for advanced treatment.

The administration of the health facility provided an ambulance to the injured persons to reach the GMC hospital, but the driver of the vehicle demanded Rs 1,800 as referral transport charges from the patients, the officials said.

District Development Commissioner (DDC) (Rajouri) Mohammad Aijaz Asad directed the chief medical officer to conduct a detailed probe into the matter, they said.

The CMO later submitted the report, finding the driver guilty, the officials added.

(With inputs from agencies.)