Peg pals: Ambulance driver buys drink, gives to patient

JAGATSINGHPUR (Odisha): Drink your way to health seemed to have been the motto of an ambulance driver in this tiny town near the coast, who stopped his vehicle on the way to a hospital and offered his injured passenger a peg, while pouring himself another.

In videos that have gone viral, the ambulance driver is seen making pegs, of what seems to be an alcoholic beverage, for himself and the patient, while parking his vehicle on the side of a highway in Tirtol area.

While the driver was seen gulping his peg down at one go, the patient, with one leg plastered, sipped his drink while lying down on the stretcher. The bizarre incident came to light on Monday after bystanders took videos and uploaded those on social media.

When onlookers confronted the driver, he claimed that the patient himself had asked for a drink. A woman and a child were also seen in the ambulance. However, the authenticity of the videos is yet to be verified.

Jagatsinghpur Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Dr Kshetrabasi Dash said, “Since it was a private ambulance, we don’t have much to say. But the RTO and the police station concerned must take action against the erring driver.” Angry over the incident, residents of the area have demanded a probe into the incident and strict action against the ambulance driver.

Jugal Kishore Das, inspector in-charge of Tirtol Police Station, said no formal complaint has been lodged and an investigation will be launched only if an FIR is registered.

Drunk driving is, however, considered to be a traffic offence.