Pune: A day after a homeless patient on a stretcher fell out of a moving ambulance, the man was reunited with his family, Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH) said on Monday.YCMH medical superintendent Abhay Dadewar told TOI the driver of the ambulance and the ward boy responsible for securing the stretcher in the vehicle have been suspended pending the outcome of an internal inquiry.The patient and the stretcher slid out of the ambulance, which had just left the hospital en route to Sassoon General Hospital. A viral video that showed bystanders moving the patient to safety sparked outrage on social media.The hospital has warned a private contractor, who employs the two men, against such negligence and ordered its staff to follow patient safety protocols, including thoroughly checking locks on the stretcher and the rear door of the ambulance.According to the hospital administration, the stretcher and rear door were allegedly not secured properly. The ward boy, who was expected to accompany the patient in the rear compartment, was reportedly sitting in the front with the driver and a policeman.Dadewar said that the two men claimed that they had secured the stretcher properly and blamed the incident on an equipment malfunction. “The inquiry will establish the facts,” he said.YCMH operates 13 ambulances, which are owned by Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. A private contractor provides drivers, ward boys, nurses and other personnel to augment the hospital’s staff.Happy reunionAccording to the hospital, the patient, a 50-year-old Dehu Road resident, had gone missing from home two weeks ago. His son saw the video and approached the hospital.“The family had been searching for him everywhere including at relatives’ homes. On seeing the video, they came to us and were referred to Sassoon, where the patient is being treated,” Dadewar said.Police had brought the man to YCMH after finding him in critical condition near Dehu Road with maggot-infested wounds. As YCMH did not have the septic operation theatre required for his surgery, he was being shifted to Sassoon Hospital when he fell from the ambulance.
