Hek clears air over ambulance incident

SHILLONG: Health and Family Welfare Minister AL Hek said on Friday that the ambulance that was stopped by members of FKJGP was ferrying a government employee and his relatives who were stranded in Guwahati.
The minister said Gurnam Singh is a permanent employee of the District Medical and Health Officer in Shillong and he was helped on humanitarian ground.
Earlier on Wednesday, FKJGP activists stopped the ambulance (ML01 7311) at Umsning in Ri Bhoi ferrying 13 passengers from Guwahati.
However, Hek on Friday told reporters that Singh is working as “a duftery” in the department and he was coming from Punjab. On reaching Guwahati, no commercial vehicles were willing to ferry him and his relatives to Shillong since he was wearing a turban and drivers were scared that their vehicles may be attacked in Meghalaya because of the disturbed situation.
Hek said Singh and his family were ferried to Shillong after taking necessary permission from the office and in consultation with the doctors.
“The department has helped him on humanitarian ground,” he said.
Meanwhile, a statement from a group of doctors from District Medical and Health Officer said Singh ran out of all options and called up Dr Manoj R Basaiawmoit and the doctor consulted his colleagues and after final consultation with the DMHO, it was agreed to sent an ambulance with an official driver and helper to pick up Singh since he was not keeping well and had ran out of money.
According to a statement, the ambulance had left for Guwahati in the morning of June 7 and they were informed by Singh that his relatives, all of whom are government servants working in Shillong along with their families were also stranded in Guwahati and this information was given to the department while the ambulance was on its way to Guwahati and accordingly the driver was instructed to pick up the relatives as well and together they were 13 in number.
The statement added that on June 7, the ambulance was accosted by a group of people in Umsning and fearing threat, the driver drove the ambulance into the compound of Umsning Police Station and informed the police personnel about the incident.
Later, under the police escort, from Ri Bhoi and East Khasi Hills, the ambulance and its occupants arrived safely at Shillong and Gurnam Singh and all his relatives were dropped at Red Hill, Laitumkhrah.
Gurnam Singh has his quarters at the DHS complex and his relatives dispersed for their respective residents.