He could have survived if taken to nearby hospital, says officer’s son

At Venkateshwar Hospital in Rohini’s Sector 12, Navnoor Singh is praying for the speedy recovery of his mother who suffered injuries in the BMW accident in Dhaula Kuan, Southwest Delhi, on Sunday.

Trying to recover from the trauma of losing his father, the 21-year-old engineer said his father’s life could have been saved if he had been taken to a nearby hospital, instead of a facility 20 kms away which had no proper facilities.

Navjot Singh, Deputy Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, died and his wife Sandeep Kaur, a teacher at Venkateshwar School in Dwarka, suffered injuries after a BMW hit their motorcycle in Dhaula Kuan. The couple was returning home after visiting Bangla Sahib Gurdwara. The car was being driven by Gaganpreet Makkad (38) of Gurugram.

Recalling the incident, Navnoor said: “I got a call from a family friend who told me about the accident and that my parents are admitted to Neulife Hospital in Mukharjee Nagar in North Delhi”.

“The accident took place around 1:30 pm. A girl driving a BMW hit my parents’ motorcycle. There was definitely something wrong, but they were taken to a hospital 20 kms away, which had no facilities...My father was declared dead on arrival at the hospital, but people there said that death instantly after an accident is very rare...,” he said.

“There are several super-speciality hospitals near Dhaula Kuan and AIIMS too, if they had been sent there, he could have been saved,” he said. Navnoor alleged that the hospital in Mukharjee Nagar belonged to the woman who was driving the car at the time of the accident.

“Those who were in the car have sustained minor injuries and are in the same hospital, but I am not sure if it is from a trusted source. New Life Hospital in GTB Nagar belongs to the girl who was driving the car, and her husband was also admitted to the same hospital. My parents were sent to the hospital in a delivery van. When my mother gained consciousness, she was in the passenger seat and looked back to see my father lying down,” he said.

AAP slams govt for scrapping Farishtey Scheme

The AAP on Monday slammed the BJP Government for allegedly scrapping the Farishtey Scheme, saying its closure is claiming lives on Delhi roads. Addressing a press conference, Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said despite the BMW crash in a central location, neither a government ambulance nor the police arrived promptly.

Bystanders only filmed the scene and none came forward for help. A van driver took the victims to a hospital, where the officer was declared dead on arrival.

“Earlier, anyone could rush an injured person to any hospital and the Delhi Government bore treatment expenses up to Rs 50 lakh. Now, families hesitate, fearing hefty bills,” he said.

Calling the move “ruthless and cruel,” he claimed lives are being lost daily because hospitals demand huge deposits before treatment. “Accidents don’t check political affiliation,” he said, urging the revival of the scheme.