Ambulance mafia fleecing patients at GMCH

Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 14

At Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, patients and attendants are being cheated and fleeced by private ambulance operators.

Some employees of the hospital in connivance with the ambulance mafia have allowed private ambulance operators to drive up to the door of the emergency unit. The government ambulances, however, remain parked a little far as a result of which the patients do not have immediate access to them.

“Private ambulances are parked near the emergency unit and the government ambulances remain parked at the backside or outside the hospital. Patients are forced to book a private ambulance as the government ambulances are not parked nearby. If someone asks for a government ambulance, he is misled,” said the driver of a government ambulance.

He said the government ambulance charged Rs 12 per kilometre while the private ambulances charged almost the double.

“Suppose a patient has to shift from Jammu to Rajouri, which is 150 km from Jammu, the government ambulance will charge him between Rs 1,800 and Rs 2,000 but the private ambulance charges between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000,” the driver said.

The private ambulances do not meet the medical standards and do nothave sophisticated shockers and oxygen facility.

The Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) authorities have written to the Director, Health, Transport Commissioner and the Inspector General of Police (Traffic) many times for keeping a check on the ambulances but they have not received any response.

“We have written to the Director, Health, asking him how many vehicles have been provided the no-objection certificate. We have also written to the Transport Commissioner for providing the data of vehicles which are fit to be used as ambulances. But there have been no response,” claimed a senior GMCH official.

“Coordination among different department is must, including the Traffic Police. The rates of the ambulances need to be finalised before they are allowed to operate,” said the official on the condition of anonymity. He said an ambulance mafia was being run in the hospital and the GMCH alone could not take action against it.