Local leaders have alleged lapses in emergency medical services at the Sanguem Community Health Centre.
SANGUEM
The death of a 22-year-old woman from Bendwada-Sanguem has triggered public anger over the alleged non-availability of the 108 emergency ambulance service, with residents demanding accountability from the health centre administration.
According to information available, Shivani Boinavar had breakfast at around 11 am and was preparing to visit a temple on Dussehra when she suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed. Her neighbours reportedly called the 108 emergency ambulance service for assistance, but alleged that no ambulance arrived despite repeated attempts to seek help.
Boinavar remained at home for at least 45 minutes before being taken to the health centre in a private vehicle, where doctors declared her dead.
Local youth claimed they were informed by the 108 ambulance service that one ambulance was undergoing repairs while another had been deployed to attend to an emergency elsewhere. However, information received locally suggests that the ambulance attached to the Sanguem health centre was without a driver, who had taken the vehicle to the district hospital.
Residents have alleged that the failure to ensure the availability of an ambulance at the time of the emergency amounted to administrative negligence.
Following Boinavar’s death, a large number of residents gathered at the health centre. Sanguem police subsequently sent the body to the district hospital for a post-mortem examination. The report is expected by Wednesday.
Meanwhile, former Sanguem councillor Meshu D’Costa, Fouziya Shaikh, Preeti Naik, Satyawan Gaonkar and Jitendra Naik have called on people to assemble at the Sanguem Community Health Centre on Wednesday morning to demand accountability and measures to prevent such incidents in the future. They intend to question the health centre administration and press for stringent corrective measures to ensure that such incidents do not recur.
Residents have also raised concerns over the functioning of the health centre, alleging that a 108 ambulance is not stationed there, dialysis services are unavailable, X-rays are not conducted daily, and patients are often told that medicines and injections are unavailable when required.
