Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur district administration on Saturday filed an
FIR against a 35-year-old ambulance driver for allegedly making ‘false remarks’ against the administration. The driver says he was trying to help patients who were unable to get admitted in a hospital.

The driver, Vicky Agrihari, allegedly did not let the patients get
admitted to the hospital by deliberately telling them there was a shortage of
both beds and oxygen in the institution, all the while not following COVID-19
protocols himself and supplying oxygen to patients outside the hospital, district administration said.

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According to reports, Agrihari said he brought a patient from a private hospital to a government hospital. As the patient waited to be admitted, his condition deteriorated. 

“Since it was an emergency situation, after making the patient lie down at a corner of hospital building, I brought an oxygen cylinder kept inside my ambulance. I gave oxygen to patient from my cylinder. Seeing this, several persons who were waiting to get other patients admitted came and asked to arrange oxygen for them also,” he was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

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The FIR against Agrihari on Friday was registered based on the Epidemic Diseases Act, as the police invoked sections 188 (disobedience to orders duly promulgated by public servant) and 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease) of the Indian Penal Code.

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Dr Anil Sharna, Chief Medical Officer of the district
hospital, reportedly said that Agrihori had made a video of the ailing patient
and had spoken against the district as well as the hospital administration.

“I fitted the oxygen kit for the patient and then arranged two more oxygen cylinders for other patients. One of my friends also brought oxygen cylinders to help people. Around 3:30 pm on Thursday, a senior officer visited to hospital after which all patients were admitted,” said Vicky, according to the website.

Uttar Pradesh, as of Sunday, has logged COVID-19
tally of 3,01,833, as per data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.