Chandigarh:Prepaid ambulance counters to be set up at PGIMER

Chandigarh:The Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) is planning to start a facility of pre paid ambulance counters for people ferrying the critically ill or dead from the hospital. The decision to start it came after an ambulance scam surfaced at the PGIMER.

A four member committee has been appointed to plan the pre-paid ambulance counter plan. The pre-paid booths are the outcome of the corrective actions suggested by the committee formed by the PGI, to look into the ambulance scam unearthed by the police, in June at the hospital.

“The committee will check if a mechanism can be formed to set up prepaid booths at various locations at the hospital,” a committee member told the press. The committee plans to meet to discuss the infrastructure and manpower development, the plan entails, before getting it on the floor.

The official said, “The family members can book ambulances at the booth and can make payment to avoid any kind of harassment from the drivers.”

NGO’s and trusts were sent out a communication on the part of the PGIMER , for details of vehicles and drivers manning them.

According to PGIMER officials,“The family members can book ambulances at the booth and can make payment to avoid any kind of harassment from the drivers.”

The UT police had in June arrested seven Post-Graduate Institute employees for carrying out an illegal ambulance service racket. Ever since, patients have been having a problem due to vehicular shortage on the premises, as the authorities have not been able to resolve the issue.

The Post Graduate Institute, Director, had formed a five-member committee to investigate the racket and also suggest corrective measures.

The committee report post scam said, “The committee recommends that a mechanism be created, which would register the willing taxi operators/hearse van/ ambulance operators/taxi service providers for the purpose of carrying the dead bodies and or/critically ill patients. After registration of 15-20 taxi operators, the PGI authorities will issue slips to the patients’ relatives for hiring the taxi, as is done in a prepaid taxi booth. The per kilometre rate shall be as determined by the Chandigarh Transport Authority.”

“Prepaid system as followed by plying of taxis by Delhi Police may be followed for long distance travel and PGI reception/emergency to ACT as coordinating centres,” it added.

The Hospital is managing to make two ends meet with great difficulty, when it comes to availability of ambulances, for ferrying the sick and bodies. Seven registered NGO’s are operating at the PGIMER for the present .

”25-30 ambulances are required during the day and at least 10 in the night” informs Ashwani Khanna, from Mata Mansa Devi Sewak Dal Dharmarth & Bhandara Committee, a trust which currently provides ambulances to the institute.

The PGI is trying its level best to end the shortage which puts the patients to inconvenience.

“We will see how we can rope in more NGOs and taxi operators so that we can end the problem of ambulance shortage,” said Manju Wadwalkar a PGI spokesperson. According to her, the new committee would also study the pre paid mechanism to understand its viability .