Jharkhand Health Minister faces flak for sending injured man to hospital in tempo, not ambulance

Jharkhand Health Minister Dr Irfan Ansari is facing criticism for sending an injured elderly man to the hospital in a tempo instead of arranging an ambulance. The incident took place near Govindpur while the minister was returning from Ranchi. He spotted 65-year-old Suleman Ansari lying on the roadside after being hit by a vehicle that had fled the scene. The minister halted his convoy, lifted the injured man with help, provided initial treatment, and arranged for his transport to Dhanbad Sadar Hospital in a tempo.

Dr Ansari later shared details of the incident in a post titled “Insaniyat sabse badi seva hai” and wrote that many vehicles had passed without stopping. He stated, “I immediately stopped my convoy, picked him up, provided first aid, and arranged a vehicle to take him to Dhanbad Sadar Hospital. I also instructed the civil surgeon to ensure proper treatment and offered financial assistance.” He mentioned that the victim’s granddaughter told him, “If you weren’t there, my grandfather wouldn’t be alive today.”

Following the post, several BJP leaders criticized the minister’s handling of the situation. BJP leader Ajay Shah questioned why an ambulance was not used when the state government claims emergency medical services can be reached within minutes. He said that instead of providing an ambulance, the health minister used a tempo to send an accident victim to the hospital.

BJP state president Babulal Marandi also commented on the incident. He said, “Instead of arranging an ambulance for the injured person, the Health Minister sent him in a tempo. What could be more shameful than this?” He further stated, “The government, which talks about air ambulances, is only focused on self-promotion through false advertisements.”

Marandi alleged that the health infrastructure in Jharkhand has deteriorated to such an extent that even ministers and the Chief Minister do not get treatment in government hospitals. He said the incident highlighted the gap between official claims and ground-level preparedness in the state’s healthcare system.