Surreal Greece par excellance: An ambulance rescuer called for a fainted customer in a nightclub with live music, grabbed the microphone and started singing instead of taking care of the patient.
The unbelievable incident occurred in a nightclub in Ilion district of Athens.
A customer felt unwell and fainted. The facility management called the ambulance service and soon a vehicle with two rescuers arrived at the scene.
Citing witnesses, media reported that one of the rescuers totally ignored the 65-year-old woman laying on the floor and moved to the stage. He grabbed the microphone from the singer and started to sing a capella “A woman went to drive me crazy to send me to Dafni [KTG note: psychiatric hospital in Athens] and I was saved at the last minute.”
Witnesses said that when the two arrived, the ‘singer’ started shouting and swearing at his colleague due to some alleged issues in the ambulance.
While the ‘singer’ was having fun, the woman appeared to be recovering and regain consciousness. Another ambulance took her to the hospital.
“The ambulance crew was two people, I don’t know who was the driver and who was next to me. When we came out, the one who was singing seemed to be very nervous,” said an eyewitness.
The singing rescuer, who is close to retirement age, has been involved in incidents in the past and he was punished by the Ambulance Service management.
According to media, the man been involved in beating a radio operator, in beating a doctor at Tzaneio Hospital, transporting a patient by ambulance without need, while he has also been sued by his ex-partner for domestic violence.
The incident shocked the audience in the nightclub who wondered about the lack of professional behavior by the one particular rescuer.
The management of the Ambulance Service has ordered an internal investigation for the rescuer.
Journalists wonder why the man was not fired if he has repeatedly demonstrated “deviant behavior”, while Greeks on social media ask who is protecting him.
It’s because they are pushed to the brink by underfunding, understaffing and bad management, the same as hospital staff doctors and nurses working 18 hours or more with hundreds of patience each. No human can cope.