Date:07/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/07/stories/2008080751570300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Ambulance services in Cuddalore hit

A.V. Ragunathan

Running them not viable, say NGOs, surrender vehicles

— Photo: C. Venkatachalapathy

UNECONOMICAL: Ambulances idling at the Cuddalore Government Headquarters Hospital.

CUDDALORE: At least seven non-governmental organisations that had been entrusted with the task of running ambulance services in the district surrendered the vehicles saying that it was not viable for them.

Earlier, the State government had given 13 ambulances to the NGOs under the Tamil Nadu Health System Project to be operated in all the blocks in the district. The government had also sanctioned Rs. 10,000 a month to each NGO to defray the expenses on this count.

The services were made available through the control room set up at the Cuddalore Government Headquarters Hospital by calling toll free number 1056. It was left to the NGOs to engage drivers and staff to run the services and also to take care of the apparatus and equipment, including oxygen cylinders, provided in the vehicle.

The NGOs were directed to collect only one-way fare at the rate of Rs. 5 a km from the patients and offer free services to those living below the poverty line and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

Malpractices

The Health Department sources told The Hindu that several malpractices had come to light in the operation of the ambulances and on several occasions the drivers were found demanding excess fare.

The sources said that when the NGOs were warned against such malfeasance, seven of them expressed their inability to run the services and surrendered the vehicles, even though their contract period was valid till December 2009.

From six other blocks

Hence, the ambulance services were withdrawn from Parangipettai, Bhuvanagiri, Khammapuram, Vriddhachalam, Cuddalore, Kattumannarkoil and Nallur blocks. It had been proposed to call back the remaining ambulances from six other blocks too.

The sources said Hyderabad-based Emergency Medical Research Institute (EMRI) was likely to take over the ambulance services soon. Services would then be offered free to all the patients.

In the event of the EMRI entering the scene, there would be a centralised control room in Chennai with a toll free number of 108.

The medical squad and police squad posted in the control room would monitor the services and direct the staff accompanying the patients on the kind of preliminary treatment to be given.

Hence, the sources said, even though the existing services would be temporarily suspended, a better-organised system would be put in place soon.