In social media , videos that have gone viral, the ambulance driver can be seen parking his car on the side of a highway in the Tirtol area and preparing pegs of what appears to be alcohol for himself and the patient.
On the way to the hospital with his injured passenger, an ambulance driver in Odisha stopped, poured himself a drink, and offered his injured passenger one as well.
A video of the incident that shows the ambulance driver making the patient and himself pegs of what appears to be alcohol has gone viral on social media.
The driver pulled over his car in the vicinity of Tirtol and then poured drinks for both of them.
In the video, the patient with his leg in a cast is seen sipping his drink while laying down on a stretcher inside the ambulance, while the ambulance driver is seen downing his beverage all at once.
Onlookers recorded this particular incident and posted videos of it on social media, which led to the incident's discovery on Monday.
When the ambulance driver was questioned, he asserted that the patient had requested a drink for himself.
In the ambulance, there was also a woman and a young child.
Dr. Kshetrabasi Dash, the chief district medical officer (CDMO) for Jagatsinghpur, stated to PTI, "We do not have much to say because it was a private ambulance. However, the offending driver must be penalised by the RTO and the nearby police station."
Residents of the area are furious about the incident and have demanded an investigation into it as well as harsh punishment for the ambulance driver.
However, the first offence is punishable by up to six months in jail, a fine of up to Rs 2,000, or both, according to Section 185(b) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
If a second offence is committed within three years of the first similar offence, the offender faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison, a maximum fine of Rs 3,000, or both.
When contacted, regional transport officer Nirmal Kumar Mohanty stated that the enforcement squad has been activated to put a stop to future instances of such behaviour.
"The department will take actions to raid such locations and punish the drink-drivers," he added.
After receiving a formal complaint, the matter will be investigated, according to Tirtol, inspector-in-charge, Jugal Kishore Das.
Meanwhile, locals have called for an investigation into the matter related to the incident and harsh punishment for the ambulance driver.
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