Eyewitnesses said by the time the ambulance door was forced open, the patient was dead

The door of an ambulance being stuck may have cost the life of a patient in Hyderabad. He was suspected to have suffered a cardiac arrest and needed emergency care.

Anand, a carpenter, was travelling on the MMTS train from Hitech City in Hyderabad when he apparently suffered a heart attack and collapsed. Co-passengers reacted fast and called his family members, the 108 ambulance service and also the police.

As soon as the train arrived at Malakpet station, a co-passenger Syed Mazhar and his friends quickly carried Anand from the train towards the waiting ambulance. However, the door of the ambulance was stuck for nearly 10 minutes, eyewitnesses said.

By the time the door was forced open by those around and Anand was shifted inside the vehicle, the patient was suspected to have dead.

"It is true that the door was stuck for a few minutes, but by the time we tried to give him emergency care, the patient was already dead," said Ravi, a paramedic with the ambulance.

Mr Mazhar, who tried desperately to save Anand's life, said the 108 ambulance did arrive on time and the staff did try their best, but cast doubts on the vehicle's maintenance.

"All of us tried to help the patient. We were massaging his hands and legs. Medical students who came by also tried to pump his chest to ensure heartbeat continues. But if the vehicle is going to be poorly maintained and emergency injections needed in such situations is not available, the purpose is defeated. I appeal to the Chief Minister to look into this," Mr Mazhar said.