12 ambulances for 10 lakh people in Muktsar district

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Tribune News Service

Muktsar, November 22

There are only 12 ambulances in Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s home district Muktsar that has a population of nearly 10 lakh. This means that there is only one ambulance for over 80,000 people. The district also has the state’s highest average of 136 cancer patients per 1 lakh people.

Records reveal that five of these ambulances are owned by the state government, six are run under the ‘108’ emergency service and one is private.

The district administration recently held a detailed meeting regarding road safety and decided to impound all other ambulances running illegally.

The administration found out about a large number of private ambulances running illegally when someone complained that a private ambulance owner charged him Rs 11,000 for a trip from Muktsar to PGIMER in Chandigarh.

Presiding over a meeting, Kuljit Pal Mahi, Additional Deputy Commissioner (general), Muktsar, said the officers concerned had been directed to take action against the offenders. The shortage of ambulances makes matters worse with most patients referred to Faridkot, Ludhiana and Chandigarh from the district. There is no major hospital in Muktsar.

Hardeep Singh, District Transport Officer (DTO), Muktsar, said, “Apart from government-run ambulances, there is just one ambulance registered in the district. No other private ambulance is registered. I have told the traffic in charge to impound all illegal ambulances.”

“Before getting the registration certificate, an ambulance needs a clearance certificate from the Chief Medical Office.”