A 66-year-old Helsinki man survived a life-threatening medical emergency after a taxi driver dropped him at the wrong hospital entrance. Taisto Jantunen ordered a Bolt taxi to Helsinki University Hospital's emergency department when his breathing difficulties suddenly worsened.
The driver took him to Meilahti hospital area but stopped at a dark construction site alley 400 meters from the correct address. Jantunen described the driver as angry and impatient.
He repeatedly demanded to be taken to the proper entrance. I feared he would throw me out on the street, Jantunen recalled. The driver eventually agreed but remained silent.
Bolt's interim country manager Andreas Holmberg claimed the ride first stopped at the booked address before continuing to Haartmaninkatu 4 at the passenger's request. He suggested neither party acted maliciously.
Hospital doctors diagnosed Jantunen with a massive pulmonary embolism. I was extremely lucky to survive, he said. This was life-threatening.
Jantunen wonders if a more compliant passenger might have accepted the wrong drop-off point with fatal consequences. He lost his brother to the same condition last year.
The incident raises questions about ride-hailing reliability during medical emergencies. Jantunen remains hospitalized and worries about which taxi service to trust upon discharge.
My confidence is now shaken, he admitted. Bolt previously worked well, which is why I instinctively ordered it during this emergency.
Medical professionals emphasize that every minute counts during pulmonary embolism treatment. The 400-meter distance between addresses could have proven critical.