A 27-year-old patient died after the private ambulance carrying him reportedly ran out of petrol on the Kathajodi bridge on the outskirts of Cuttack city on Friday.
The patient, identified as Prakash Kumar Tandi, had allegedly consumed poison and was being shifted from Cuttack to a private hospital near Bhubaneswar for treatment.
Sources said Tandi, a resident of Derabis in Kendrapara district, consumed poison on Thursday. As his condition deteriorated, his family members took him to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, where they arrived on Friday morning.
However, the family later decided to shift him to a private hospital at Phulnakhara, around 14km from SCB Medical College and Hospital. Under normal traffic conditions, the journey takes around 15 minutes, though congestion often stretches it to nearly 30 minutes.
The family hired a private ambulance for the transfer. But the vehicle reportedly ran out of petrol midway on the Kathajodi bridge. The nearest petrol pump from the spot is around 2km away.
“Seeing long queues at petrol pumps inside Cuttack city, the ambulance driver had planned to refuel on the national highway. But the fuel got exhausted before that. Another ambulance arrived after half an hour, but by then the patient had died,” said a relative, who was seen crying on the bridge while seeking help from passers-by.
The situation worsened as the ambulance’s oxygen supply had also reportedly run out.
The incident comes amid persistent queues at nearly 2,800 petrol pumps across Odisha despite repeated assurances from the state government that there is no fuel shortage.
State food supplies and consumer welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra said: “We have petrol and diesel stocks for the next 13 days. There is regular supply of fuel. We urge people not to resort to panic
buying.”
The minister said demand for petrol and diesel had increased by nearly 50 per cent after people allegedly misunderstood the Prime Minister’s appeal to reduce fuel consumption as part of efforts to strengthen the economy.
Indian Oil Corporation Limited chief general manager Kamal Sheel also appealed to people not to indulge in panic buying, maintaining that there was no shortage of fuel anywhere in the state.
Long queues at petrol pumps, however, have affected transport services, with buses and trucks avoiding crowded filling stations. Bus operations in rural areas have also
been hit.
Concerned over the situation, state transport commissioner Amitabh Thakur held a meeting with bus and truck operators. It was decided to reserve dedicated fuel outlets for buses and trucks to ensure uninterrupted supply to public transport vehicles. Specific petrol pumps in each district will be designated for refuelling buses and heavy vehicles.
The Opposition BJD and Congress criticised the state government over its handling of the situation.
“Just as people had stood in long queues outside banks during demonetisation, they are now waiting for four to five hours outside petrol pumps,” said BJD vice-president and former minister Sanjay Dasburma.
Dasburma alleged that several fuel stations had remained shut in some areas and restrictions had been imposed on fuel purchases.
“Two-wheelers are being given fuel worth only ₹200, while four-wheelers are being supplied fuel worth ₹1,000. The entire state is facing fuel distress. Instead of addressing the issue, the government is indulging in false propaganda,” he said.
BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty alleged lack of coordination within the government.
“While the supply secretary says fuel stock is available in abundance, the supply minister says stocks will last only 13 days. This clearly shows there is no coordination between the minister and the secretary,” he said.
Mohanty also referred to the recent fuel price hike.
“On Friday, fuel prices were increased by ₹3. When the BJP was in the Opposition, it demanded reduction of VAT and inclusion of petrol and diesel under GST. Why is it not implementing those measures after coming to power?”
he asked.