Ambulance refused to photographer at Parliament

Medical staff at Parliament House yesterday refused to use an ambulance on standby to ferry a seriously ill news photographer to hospital.

Sakol Sandhiratne, who works for Nation Multimedia Group, was covering a parliamentary press conference when he collapsed.

Medics from the Parliament first-aid room were called, but firmly refused a request to dispatch the ambulance posted at Parliament.

Witnesses said officials expressed worry that they would be reprimanded if any parliamentarian were to suddenly need the ambulance.

Eventually, an ambulance from the Narenthorn Centre arrived and took Sakol to Klang Hospital, where was diagnosed with bleeding in the brain.

Senior parliamentary official Nuchsee Chaisuwan quoted Parliament President Somsak Kiartsuranon as saying there was no policy of preventing a standby ambulance from taking a patient, regardless of their role or standing, to hospital.