SHILLONG: The first responder to any emergency case in the state is the police and the emergency service but there are many instances when personnel of these services fail to show human touch and professionalism while dealing with cases.
A road accident at Mookyndur, Jaintia Hills on Wednesday brought to light the lack of human touch of the police and the emergency services.
A truck with Andhra Pradesh registration carrying clinkers overturned at Mookyndur and what followed next was chaotic as trucks and vehicles passing by stopped and tried to help the injured – the driver and the handyman.
One person pulled them out to safety by the side of the road but a call for help made to emergency services turned out to be a debate between the caller and the one receiving it as the lady on duty, instead of responding to the emergency, started arguing that the service personnel had arrived at the incident spot but the victims had refused to go, therefore, they retreated.
She went on with her debate and hanged up even as the caller requested them to send aid as early as possible.
Nevertheless, the ambulance arrived and the first thing the crew did was started explaining why they had left the spot earlier instead of attending to the injured.
Meanwhile, the police also reached the spot and started moving the vehicle which had caused traffic jam. The person who had rescued the two victims was trying to walk up to the police to tell them that a truck driver pretending to help the wounded had stolen their money and fled the scene.
He was trying to give them the description but before he could even walk up to them, the police were very rude and tried to chase him away from a distance.
The driver of the police gypsy was reportedly yelling from the driver seat.
The emergency crew who appeared on the scene took their own time to carry them to the vehicle and when one of the injured said that he was unable to walk, they mocked him by saying that earlier they were running around now they could not walk.
The tone of the police personnel and the behaviour of the emergency crew towards the two injured were very disheartening to see, some eyewitnesses said.
To top it all when both the injured were shifted to the ambulance with the help of the police and few bystanders, the driver of the emergency vehicle stopped and said you have to teach them a lesson – lesson for refusing to go earlier.
Ironically, the duo could not speak or understand Hindi or English and were in a state of shock.
Thus, one can imagine what lesson the driver was talking about.
