Srinagar: Dozens of ambulances, freshly procured over the last one year, are now junked in a health department office in Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir government procured 125 ambulances for Kashmir in 2014 but left them unutilised for several months even as patients continue dying on their way to hospitals.
The scam of inertia in health department shows that the cost of the brand new ambulances accrues to over Rs 10 crore but they have been left to rot in the garages.
Several patients like Posha's child would have been able to reach Budgam hospital in time to get her infant daughter treated if even a single of the brand new but non operational ambulances would have been put to use. Posha could not even carry the baby's body back to her village because the district hospital refused to spare an ambulance citing a shortage. What is ironical is that the baby died barely 2 km away from the place where dozens of ambulances are gathering dust.
"The hospital administration refused to spare an ambulance for my dead baby. Some people took pity and collected Rs 800 to send me back to my village," Posha said.
In 2014, the Central government allocated a sum of Rs 15.3 crore under the National Rural Health Mission to the Directorates of Health Services in Jammu and Kashmir for a total replacement of the old ambulances by the upgraded Force Traveller.
It was decided that 200 ambulances will be procured, 125 of them for Kashmir to spruce up ambulances services. However it seems that just like the ambulances, the mission has also been junked.
Comments
0 comment