Mumbai: Ambulance charges Rs 8,000 for transporting Covid-19 patient for 200 metres

孟买：运送新冠肺炎患者200米，救护车收费8000卢比

MUMBAI: One person’s adversity is another’s advantage. A coronavirus positive patient was charged Rs 8,000 by a private ambulance owner for transporting her to a mere distance of 200 metres. The incident came to light after the patient’s relative made a video of the ambulance’s driver insisting on demanding this exorbitant fare and the video went viral.

孟买：一名新冠确诊患者叫了一辆私人救护车，运送距离仅200米，救护车车主竟收取8000卢比。这名患者的亲属制作了一段视频，在视频中救护车司机坚持索要高价，该视频在网上疯传，事件才得以曝光。

On June 1 a Kurla resident was admitted to Habib Hospital in Kurla with Covid-19 symptoms. Next day when the middle-aged patient’s reports came positive and the hospital told her relatives to take her to another hospital as Habib didn’t have facilities to treat Covid-19 positive patients. “I called Just Dial and inquired about a private ambulance as government-provided ambulance was not available. I was directed to contact , an ambulance service in Jarimari. They sent an ambulance and said they would charge Rs 10,000,” said the patient’s brother-in-law. He said that since the patient needed oxygen and transporting her to another hospital in a normal vehicle was risky, he bargained and brought the fare down to Rs 8,000. She was transported in the ambulance from Habib Hospital to Fauzia Hospital, a mere 200 metres away.

6月1日，库尔拉一名居民因出现新冠肺炎症状而被收治入Habib医院。第二天，这位中年患者的检测报告出来了，结果呈阳性，由于Habib医院没有治疗新冠肺炎阳性患者的设施，医院要求她的亲属将她送往另一家医院。患者的姐夫说：“因为政府没有提供救护车，我打电话询问了私人救护车，对方告诉我联系Mobile Care，位于贾里马里的一架救护车服务机构。他们派了一辆救护车，并表示要收费1万卢比。由于患者需要吸氧，用普通车辆把她送到另一家医院有风险，经过讨价还价后，收费降到了8000卢比。”救护车将患者从Habib医院送到200米外的Fauzia医院。

After she admitted to Fauzia Hospital which has facilities to treat Covid-19 positive patients, he came down to pay the ambulance driver. “I told him to take a little less. We were ready to pay even for the PPE kits the driver had used. Yet he said his owner would not take less than Rs 8,000,”said Shaikh. “I paid the amount but also made a video of the entire incident.” She is recuperating there.

患者住进了Fauzia医院，那里有治疗新冠肺炎患者的设施。患者的姐夫说：“我跟司机说能不能少收一点。我们甚至愿意为司机使用的防护服付钱。但他说，他的老板最少要收8000卢比。我付了钱，还拍下了整个事件的过程。”患者目前正在医院休养。

Ambulance’s owner Mohammed Ismaeel justified the hiked fare. “Due to the lockdown, most of the drivers have left Mumbai for their home in UP and Bihar. Around 80% of ambulances are standing still because there are not enough drivers to operate them. We have to pay for the sanitizers and the PPE kits of three staff per ambulance. Where will we get to pay for all that unless we get adequate fare?,” said Ismaeel. The ambulance owner didn’t give a bill to the patient and now denies that he was never paid. He alleged that he has received threatening calls from different places in India and even from Dubai.

救护车的车主Mohammed Ismaeel说费用提高是合理的，他说：“由于封城，大多数司机已经离开孟买，回到他们在北方邦和比哈尔邦的老家。由于没有足够的司机，大约80%的救护车停在车库。我们要为每辆救护车的消毒设备和三个工作人员的个人防护装备付钱。除非我们收取足够的车费，否则我们用什么去付这些费用呢?”救护车车主并没有给病人出具收据，但承认他收了钱。他声称，他曾接到来自印度各地甚至迪拜打来的威胁电话。

Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh said that a month ago a private ambulance owner had demanded Rs 15,000 to transport a Covid 19 positive patient from Breach Candy Hospital to KEM Hospital, a distance of mere 6 kms. “I refused to pay and took the patient in a private car,” said Shaikh.

社会党议员 Rais Shaikh说，一个月前，一辆私人救护车车主索价1.5万卢比，将一新冠肺炎患者从Breach Candy医院送到仅6公里外的KEM医院。他说:“我拒绝了，并把病人带上了一辆私家车。

以下是印度时报读者的评论：

译文来源：三泰虎 http://www.santaihu.com/p/50058.html  译者：Jessica.Wu

C S Maurya

These Ambulances are not doing any charity or social work they are Worst than Kalee Peeli Taxs.

这些救护车没有为社会做一点善事，他们比出租车还黑。

Varadarajan Sitaraman

pl.cancel the license of the ambulance.

吊销这辆救护车的牌照吧。

Harmeet Bhooi

MAHARASTRA HAVE BECOME WORST, GOD SAVE HUMANITY.

马哈拉施特拉已成为最糟糕的邦了，神啊救救人类吧。

Kishur Bhatia

None of the Ambulances give Bill's or Receipts...Its a regular looting practice...

没有一辆救护车会给客户开收据，这无异于抢劫…

True Speech

AMBULANCE people are minting money like anything in these COVID TIMES. State Government must look into the serious issue

疫情期间，救护车就跟印钞机似的，邦政府必须调查这一严重问题

Samir

Most of the ambulances are owned and operated by local politicians and their chamchas. don't u see why nobody is arrested or their licenses cancelled.

大多数救护车都是由当地政客和他们手下的人拥有和运营的。现在该明白为什么没有人被逮捕或者吊销执照了吧?

Cyrus Irani

I suggest der should b fixed price for a/c non a/c so ambulance ppl dnt fool u.

我建议统一定价，这样救护车就不能宰人了。

Guest

mat looto ..sab yahi Ka yahi rahega... charge nominal charges...help poor people...

帮帮穷人吧，象征性的收点钱就好了

Poor Man

If the govt. is strong cancell the license and confiscate the ambulance with fine and jail term for a week.

如果政府够强硬，就吊销救护车牌照，没收救护车并处以罚款，监禁车主一周。

Samir

you said it right - IF

你说得对，“如果”

Rajbir Sandhu

It sad to see people being looted. Our Govts can't do much , just express ignorance.

悲哀啊，这是明抢，政府却什么也不做。

Chamcha

uddhav and his son are busy hel elite people in maharashtra.

首席部长乌达夫和他的儿子正忙着帮助马哈拉施特拉邦的精英阶层。

Akash Mumbaikar

Last paragraph. 1500 for 6 kms that's resonable.

最后一段，6公里要价1500卢比，挺合理的啊

Mangesh Vedpathak

It says he demanded 15,000 for 6 km and not 1500. Read carefully!!

看清楚了，是1.5万卢比，不是1500卢比。

Soarhigh

Declare ambulance as essential service, cap the prices otherwise vultures in human form will take advantage of human suffering !

宣布救护车是必需服务，限制价格，否则有些人会趁火打劫!

Bala Raman

Supreme Court read this news and take action on these ambulances, do not keep questioning the central government

最高法院看到这条新闻，就会对这些救护车采取行动，不要去质问印度中央政府了。

Lalit Sadhwani

Government must look in

印度政府必须介入调查

ILANGOVAN A

God save common people.

神啊，救救老百姓吧

Kk

corrupt tikdee government

印度政府腐败啊

Chanakya

Don't cry if can't afford don't use.

如果付不起钱就不要叫救护车

vinay rathi

The Licences/Permissions granted to such Ambulances be cancelled immdly & owner & driver be arrested for blackmailing, extortion,.....

立即取消这辆救护车的牌照，以敲诈勒索罪逮捕车主和司机

Nagaraju Venishetty

There should be a cap on the prices.

救护车的收费应该设定上限