No ventilator facility; patient waits in ambulance

Delay in providing expert medical care to a patient in critical condition who was kept waiting in an ambulance at the government medical college hospital here today triggered a protest from relatives even as hospital authorities clarified that he could not be admitted as ventilator facility was not immediately available.
A native of Kottayam, the patient was brought from a hospital in Alappuzha to the Medical College here for expert care but had to wait in the ambulance.
However, medical college hospital superintendent M S Sharmad said they could not admit him as no ventilator facility was available there at that time.

A hospital release, quoting the official, also said it was already conveyed to those who had asked for ventilator facility when the patient was about to be taken from the Alappuzha hospital itself.
The release did not mention details about the patient.
There are 51 ventilators in the Medical College here including those in the super-speciality blocks.
The patient was taken to a nearby hospital later, authorities added.