 "Rajasthan woman attempts suicide, dies on way to hospital due to 'jammed ambulance doors'")
synopsis
In a disturbing incident, a woman in Rajasthan's Bhilwara died inside an EMRIGHS-operated ambulance, after its doors jammed and by the time she was extracted by breaking the window glass, she was declared brought dead at the district hospital on Sunday.
In a disturbing incident, a woman in Rajasthan's Bhilwara died inside an EMRIGHS-operated ambulance, after its doors jammed and by the time she was extracted by breaking the window glass, she was declared brought dead at the district hospital on Sunday. The state health department has initiated an investigation into the incident.
The woman, who had attempted suicide by hanging, was found alive by her family but died before reaching the district hospital due to alleged failures during the emergency response.
According to a report by Times of India (TOI), the ambulance’s doors jammed, forcing rescuers to break the window glass to extract her. By the time she was removed, she was declared brought dead at the hospital. Her family accused the ambulance service of negligence, claiming the vehicle lacked oxygen facilities and that its staff were unfamiliar with the hospital route, causing further delays.
“The doors remained stuck for over 15 minutes,” the family alleged, adding that the malfunction robbed them of precious time.
Bhilwara's Chief Medical and Health Officer, Dr. CP Goswami, said, "We have formed a committee to investigate the matter and asked it to submit a report soon."
The four-member probe panel is tasked with examining critical aspects, including the ambulance's inspection records, response times, police documentation, hospital arrival details, door malfunction analysis, the driver's route familiarity, postmortem findings, and emergency medical attendance.
EMRIGHS denies negligence
EMRIGHS, however, refuted the allegations, asserting that the woman was already dead upon entering the ambulance. “The patient exhibited no vital signs upon entering the ambulance, indicating death had occurred beforehand. We possess documentary evidence substantiating this,” the organization stated.
The ambulance service added that their investigation revealed the vehicle (RJ14PD7015) received the emergency call at 9.51 am. and reached the pickup location by 9.56 am, arriving at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital by 10.13 am. “This evidence contradicts claims about route unfamiliarity. The organization confirmed oxygen provision during transit, with cylinders filled on January 8, 2025,” EMRIGHS claimed.
Addressing the malfunction, EMRIGHS maintained that the ambulance doors were functional during the patient’s initial loading but jammed at the hospital due to “multiple simultaneous opening attempts.”
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