KUCHING, Feb 27: The pregnant woman who suffered minor injuries yesterday after the ambulance ferrying her to the hospital overturned after being hit by a car has given birth to a healthy baby boy this morning.
Relating the news, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii, who visited the victim and her family at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) today, said both mother and baby were healthy.
“We manage to speak to the husband as well as the victim. I am grateful that her condition is stable, and she is getting the necessary treatment now in SGH,” he said in a press statement.
During the visit, he contributed some donations to the family and also offered to help if the family needed anything during the recovery period.
Describing the accident as a very unfortunate event, Dr Yii was, however, relieved that no one was seriously hurt.
He appealed to the public, especially motorists, to play their part by being courteous, considerate and conscious of incoming ambulances as someone’s life might be at stake.
“There are few things of course for us to address, especially to avoid such accidents from happening again. This is not the first time that an accident such as this involving an ambulance has happened.
“That is why it is important that we all need to play our part to be considerate and conscious of incoming ambulances and also be alert of such sirens as it may involve life and death situations.”
According to Rule 9 of the Road Traffic Rules 1959, emergency vehicles like an ambulance on duty have the right of way over all other traffic.
However, Dr Yii said the law also stated that the drivers of such emergency vehicles are still bound by their legal responsibilities and traffic laws on dangerous, careless, or inconsiderate driving.
“So, it means that when an ambulance is rushing a patient to the hospital, it must do so safely. Trying to beat a traffic light even during an emergency may put the patient’s life in danger unless given free passage of way by incoming traffic.
“We are not here to point fingers or find fault at anyone as no one would want or wish to cause such harm or accidents, but such accidents could be avoided if drivers are alert and conscious of emergency sirens, whether it is an ambulance, police or from a fire truck.” — DayakDaily
