Klaten Health Office Defends Viral Official Car Intercepting Ambulance: It Wasn't Intentional

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JAKARTA - The Head of the Klaten Health Service, Cahyono Widodo, has raised his voice in response to the viral status of the Health Office's official car which confronted the ambulance on Pemuda Street, Friday, October 29 yesterday. Cahyono denied that the car driver deliberately blocked the ambulance.

Cahyono confirmed that the car was indeed an operational vehicle at the Klaten Health Service. At that time, the car was about to return to the office from the direction of Dr. Soeradji Tirtonegoro Hospital after being used for monitoring and evaluation activities.

Traffic conditions are relatively busy and the driver takes the right side of the left lane to prepare to cross because the Klaten Health Office office is opposite the Klaten DPRD office.

"The vehicle did intend to cross Pemuda Street to return to the office. However, because Pemuda Street was congested with vehicles from the direction of the Adipura monument, the driver waited on the side of the road," said Cahyono, quoted from Instagram Diskomifo Klaten, Sunday, October 31.

But before they could cross, an ambulance from the opposite direction drove by turning on the siren, taking the opposite lane to cut through the traffic jam.

Due to traffic conditions and the position of the official car being in the middle of the lane, the official car driver could not immediately change lanes, causing the ambulance to stop.

"The official car has turned on the turn signal to the left to give the ambulance a chance. Because the left lane has a car, so waiting for the left lane to loosen, besides that, behind the car there is another vehicle so it can't move because it is waiting for the car behind to back off," he explained.

Cahyono apologized if the operational vehicle at his institution was deemed to be blocking the ambulance. He made sure there was no deliberate action to hinder the speed of the ambulance carrying the patient.

"It was not intentional, our employees certainly understand the SOP for the ambulance that is carrying the patient. However, this incident occurred due to heavy traffic conditions on the main route on the weekend," he said.