Pathanamthitta: In a tragic incident, a 52-year-old man attacked by a pack of stray dogs succumbed to his injuries after an alleged delay in arranging an ambulance from Government General Hospital in Adoor here on Monday. The unfortunate incident unfolded around 6.45 pm on Monday when the victim, Titus of Ezhamkulam, was found lying unconscious in a pool of blood near Adoor KSRTC bus station. 

He had suffered severe injuries on his head, with his left ear being bitten off. Onlookers rushed him to the General Hospital, where he received initial treatment. However, his condition deteriorated rapidly, and despite efforts to transfer him to Kottayam Medical College, there was a delay in arranging an ambulance. Tragically, the victim succumbed to his injuries by 10 pm after battling for hours.

The District Medical Officer in Pathanamthitta has called for a detailed report on the incident, sources said.

The death has sparked outrage over perceived negligence by hospital authorities in providing timely treatment and arranging prompt ambulance services. Congress workers staged a protest outside the hospital on Tuesday, condemning the alleged apathy towards the victim's medical needs.

Aju Ezhakulam, General Secretary of the Pathanamthitta District Congress Committee, criticized the hospital's reliance on a non-operational ambulance fleet.

 "The doctors claimed all four hospital ambulances were out of service. However, they wasted crucial time waiting for a 108 ambulance instead of arranging a private one,’’ he said.

The protests ceased only after assurances from the hospital authorities to involve the District Medical Officer (DMO) to investigate the allegations of negligence and ambulance delay. 

When contacted, DMO Dr L Anithakumari stated she became aware of the incident through the media and had requested a report from the General Hospital authorities.

Meanwhile, official sources revealed that the attending doctors could not foresee the victim's deteriorating condition. "Just as they believed his condition was stabilizing, it worsened unexpectedly. The scramble for an ambulance at the last minute was not viable, as the hospital lacked a functional ambulance," they said.

Multiple attempts to book a 108 ambulance too did not yield any results. According to them, all four ambulances had been out of commission for an extended period due to financial constraints faced by the hospital. A recent report by the Director of Health Services highlighted that 615 government hospitals across the state, including 20 in Pathanamthitta, operated without ambulance services.