Girl demands explanation for father’s death in ambulance

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KUCHING: The daughter of a man who died after the ambulance allegedly delayed sending him to hospital has demanded an explanation for her father’s death.

She took to social media detailing the circumstances leading up to her father’s passing.

“On March 11, my dad was suffering extreme stomach-ache and had an abnormally rapid heartbeat rate in the morning. My mum and younger brother thus immediately sent him to the nearest health clinic (Klinik Kesihatan Siburan) in our neighbourhood.

Dr Lee Boon Chye

“After arriving at the clinic at around 8am, an ECG diagnosis showed that he had an abnormal heart rate. However, as it is a health clinic, it does not have the medical device, such as X-ray, to diagnose the reason behind his extreme stomach-ache. The doctor then asked to transfer my dad to Serian Hospital for an X-ray diagnosis so that proper medical treatment could be carried out,” she wrote in her social media post yesterday.

She added that it was after her father was moved into an ambulance to be transferred to the hospital at around 9 am that the ‘ridiculous thing’ happened.

“The ambulance did not proceed to the hospital immediately at the time and without any siren as well. With my very ill dad inside the ambulance, they went to the Petronas station in Siburan to fuel up the vehicle.

“While at the petrol station, an incoming lorry slightly brushed against the ambulance which resulted in the driver’s door unable to close,” she lamented.

She added that after the minor accident, the ambulance proceeded to the police station to make a report.

“Both the medical assistant and driver went into the police station to make the report, leaving my dad, mum and younger brother waiting inside the ambulance.

“Suddenly, my mum found that my dad showed no response. She touched his forehead and realised his forehead was becoming cold. She quickly asked my younger brother to call and seek help from the medical assistant, who then performed nearly 15 minutes of CPR on my dad,” she wrote.

Unfortunately, her father did not make it and passed away around 11am.

In her social media post, she questioned why emergency standard operating procedures were not followed in the incident, and why wasn’t the ambulance fuelled up beforehand.

“An ambulance driver is responsible to ensure that the ambulance has more than a half-full tank at any time to cater and standby for emergency cases, isn’t it? This is the first time in my life hearing that an ambulance went to fuel up the vehicle with a very ill patient inside.”

She hopes that the relevant authorities and departments would step forward for a proper and fair explanation regarding the matter.

Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye when contacted for comments on the posting said all cases of accidents involving ambulances will be investigated.

Earlier when asked whether ambulances could bypass traffic rules when rushing patients to hospitals he said. “It is true that ambulances have to follow traffic regulations and obey traffic light requirements. Of course if there are traffic police onsite to guide traffic, the ambulances can follow traffic police instructions to facilitate speedy arrival.

“The priorities are to ensure both safe and speedy arrival of patients. Safety cannot be comprised. This is also because there have been various incidents of accidents involving ambulances and the outcome for the patient and caregivers when accidents happen can be catastrophic.”