Probe into ambulance delay

Penang Hospital director Dr Zaininah Mohd Zain has promised an investigation into the long delay an ambulance took to reach an accident scene involving a motorist who was run over by a lorry.
The accident took place in Jalan C. Y. Choy, about 20 minutes from the hospital.
The motorist, Jegadesan Ramakrisnan, 23, was left in pain after his right leg was run over by a lorry in the accident about 4.15pm on Wednesday.
Passers-by called an ambulance within minutes of the accident but one from the Penang Hospital arrived at the scene almost an hour later.
Doctors had to amputate Jegadesan’s leg.
Zaininah said the hospital had started an investigation into the matter.
"We are concerned about the matter and an investigation will be conducted," she told the New Straits Times today.
The Penang Hospital has three ambulances available at any one time to respond to emergency calls.
A source said it sometimes took 10 minutes for ambulances to leave the hospital grounds due to the exit being blocked by illegally parked cars.
Meanwhile, Jegadesan, when met at the hospital today, said his leg might have been saved if the ambulance had reached the scene faster.
He said doctors told him it would take about three months to recover from the ordeal.
Police are looking for the lorry driver.
The driver had abandoned his lorry and fled the scene after running over the victim.
Source