Heartless taxi blocks Phuket ambulance rushing patient to hospital
A green taxi is at the centre of an incident in Phuket after blocking an ambulance with a 62 year old man suffering from heart failure onboard. The patient died in the ambulance, just moments away from receiving life-saving treatment.
On the morning of Sunday, April 27, a 62 year old man with a history of heart disease began feeling dizzy while at a durian orchard in the Kamala community. His relatives immediately contacted Patong Hospital for an emergency response, and by 8.15am, an ambulance was dispatched to pick him up. However, during the journey to Phuket Town for further medical attention, disaster struck.
As reported by the MCOT Phuket Facebook page, a green taxi blocked the ambulance on Kamala-Patong Road, causing a deadly delay.
The emergency vehicle, with its sirens blaring, was unable to accelerate, with the taxi stubbornly refusing to move despite the clear indication that an emergency was in progress.
The road was narrow, and the ambulance struggled to pass. Despite the medical team’s best efforts, including attempting CPR, the patient was declared dead by 8.45am.
Witnesses reported the harrowing scene, saying, “The ambulance had its siren blaring, but the taxi refused to move. The road was very narrow. If they had moved quickly, they might have saved the patient’s life.”
The incident has sparked outrage and concern. Both Patong Hospital and Patong Police Station have reviewed CCTV footage from the area, and the taxi driver has been called in for questioning. Initial charges against him include obstructing an emergency vehicle and violating patient rights, reported KhaoSod.
Legal action is now being pursued.
Patong police have vowed to improve traffic law enforcement to prevent such tragedies from occurring again. A public campaign is also underway, urging all road users to yield to emergency vehicles in order to protect lives in urgent situations.
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