An infant who was being taken to hospital died Sunday after the ambulance reportedly got stuck in the traffic jam due to indefinite protest started by Punjab Theka Mulazam Union (Contractual Employees Union) on Amritsar-Delhi National Highway (NH) at Khanna.
Authorities, however, denied that the death happened due to traffic jam and said that the ambulance was given the way by the protesters.
The protesting contractual employees have blocked the highway indefinitely and installed tents on the road. Commuters had harrowing time Sunday and NH witnessed traffic snarls for hours.
Soni and his wife Kajal, from Mohanpur village of Khanna, said that they were taking their one-month baby boy Aarav to hospital in an ambulance after he got unwell suddenly. However, the vehicle was stuck in traffic due as protesters had blocked the highway. They said that despite repeated requests to protesters, ambulance was not allowed to go and a lot of time was wasted. By then, their baby had already died.
Ambulance driver Avtar Singh said they wasted precious time in crossing the blocked highway time and when they reached the hospital no doctor was available. The infant had already died by then following which the shattered family left for home without lodging any complaint with any authority.
However, Manjeet Kaur, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Khanna claimed that the ambulance was given the way by the protesters and it was being probed how the baby died.
“Probably the baby was already in critical condition. Protesters did not stop ambulances and were allowing them to go. We will probe reason behind baby’s death,” said SDM.
Heavy traffic jams were ongoing on Amritsar-Delhi national highway till filing of this report due to indefinite protest started by contractual employees.