Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy is investigating the allegation that a woman was asked to pay for an ambulance to cross with the New Amsterdam ferry on Monday.

The woman, Rebecca Leitch, told Stabroek News that she was accompanying her injured brother, Bansraj Nathoo, to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Nathoo, who sustained injuries to his left ankle during an altercation at Tain, Corentyne with two youths on Friday, was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital. He was transferred to the city facility after his condition worsened and succumbed the following day a few hours after undergoing surgery.

Contacted, Ramsammy told this newspaper that he would conduct an investigation “to find out what this is all about and if it is true that the driver asked for money I would fire him.”

The minister had said earlier that persons should not pay for services at government hospitals and that there would be “zero tolerance” for this practice.

Leitch said the driver asked her for $2,000 and after she “started to quarrel he said ‘ok give me $1,000′. I told him I am going to give you the money but I would report you.” She even asked the nurse if that was normal and the nurse responded, “I don’t know.”

She said while at the stelling she telephoned a senior official at the institution and reported the incident and was told to “put it in writing and we would do an investigation.”

The woman said that because of her brother’s death she did not have the time to write the letter of complaint.

Chief Executive Officer of the New Amsterdam Hospital Dr Vishwa Mahadeo had initially told this reporter on Thursday, “I am not going to respond to anything if you cannot guarantee me that the same people who read this crap in the newspaper would read the response tomorrow [Friday].”

Questioned further he replied, “As far as I am concerned they did not ask her to pay.” He said the hospital provides money for such services and there is no need to ask anyone for money.

But the woman said she was standing by her story and asked: “so am I a mad woman?”