Ambulance Crew Under Investigation for Stopping to Buy Produce While Transporting Baby

According to journalist Ligia Pricopi writing for Digi24, an ambulance belonging to the Bacău County Ambulance Service (Serviciul de Județean Bacău) was recorded stopping for produce shopping during an active emergency transport involving a critically ill one-year-old child. The Department for Situations of Emergency (Departamentul pentru Situații de Urgență) and the institution’s management are investigating the incident after a parent filmed the vehicle stopped at a roadside market.

Emergency Response Interrupted for Produce Shopping in Bacău

The incident involved a medical assistant and an ambulance driver dispatched to a locality approximately 45 kilometers from the city. They picked up a woman and her child, who was under two years old and suffering from an infection, to transport them to the hospital.

Instead of proceeding directly to medical facilities, the crew pulled over at a roadside market. According to the mother’s account, the crew stopped at a stall to purchase vegetables and melons while the young patient’s condition worsened.

Department for Situations of Emergency Launches Verification

Following the public circulation of the footage, institutional authorities launched formal inquiries. The Department for Situations of Emergency initiated a verification process at the Bacău service.

Concurrently, the leadership of the Ambulance Service announced an internal investigation. Management stated that the harshest possible sanctions will be applied, characterizing the situation as unacceptable. Officials noted that leaving a patient unattended in an ambulance while a crew stops to shop constitutes a severe breach of protocol, especially given the vulnerable state of the pediatric patient.

Hospital Arrival and Patient Diagnosis

The journey to the hospital ultimately took nearly two hours due to the unauthorized stop. Upon arrival, medical personnel at the receiving facility diagnosed the child with an infection.

The mother voiced strong concerns to the crew while the vehicle was parked at the market, noting that the child felt very poorly before the vehicle finally resumed its route toward medical care.

Frequently Asked Questions

What triggered the investigation at the Bacău County Ambulance Service?

According to Digi24 reporting, the investigation was launched after a mother filmed the ambulance stopping at a roadside market for produce during an active emergency transport for her sick child.

Who is investigating the incident?

The Department for Situations of Emergency is conducting verifications alongside an internal investigation launched by the leadership of the Bacău County Ambulance Service.

What was the medical status of the child during the transport?

The patient, a child under two years old, was suffering from an infection and feeling very poorly, according to statements reported by journalist Ligia Pricopi.