THE 108 AMBULANCE SERVICES ARE IN A “MESS” IN UTTARAKHAND SAY PEOPLE

The 108 ambulance services in Uttarakhand which are meant to safeguard the lives of patients by ferrying them to the nearby hospitals in time fully equipped with all the necessary life saving first aid equipments and facility of the oxygen cylinders etc are themselves in somewhat dying stage which are usually not available in time to the accidental victims as well as the victims of critical illnesses in villages and local hospitals in the nearby district headquarter.

There have been incidents of even deaths of patients suffering from severe critical illnesses particularly because of severe lung’s complications or cardilogical problems while being ferried to the nearby district hospitals like Kotdwar etc from villages due to the shortage and non availability of oxygen cylinders.

Several cases of pregnant women being carried on the make shift temperory carriages to hospitals by people in the absence of 108 ambulances have been reported including the sorry incidents when the women groaning in massive pains are compelled to deliver babies on the way in extremely pitiable conditions.

This is shocking n really horrible. How can there be such a deadly laxity despite the fact that the state government claims of a hefty health budget.

In some cases there are complaints of Ambulances not being available due to the shortage of fuel. In order to substantiate the complaint of increasing shortage of Ambulances and its complacent services to those in need during critical times like fatal accidents etc the non availability of the 108 Ambulance service at the Devprayag site in Pauri/ Srinagar Garhwal area in Uttarakhand in due time has resulted in the death of a victim with another being grievously injured who could not be ferried to the hospital in time in view of the non availability of the 108 ambulance service.

The ambulance available in the Devprayag district hospital is in a sorry condition completely defunct and non functional.

The people of Devprayag Garhwal had been the victim of the non availability of 108 ambulances as are the inhabitants of other partsof the Uttarakhand hills.

The affected inhabitants have reported the lapses to the concerned health authorities as well to the local MLA Mr. Kandari, the nephew of the former BJP lawmaker and Minister Matbar Singh Kandari but of no avail.

The matter was even discussed in the Block Development Committee meeting and the concerned officers had given every possible assurances but the situation is still to square one.

Actually no officer or official in Uttarakhand except the negligible few, wanted to work because everybody is integrally involved, hand in globe in corrupt practices.

According to a latest news a car fell several metres down in a gorge today morning killing a Village Khola resident Veeru Ghildiyal near Dev Prayag, Garhwal, who could have been saved had the 108 Ambulance service of Devprayag hospital been in a movable condition with life saving equipments. Another person suffered serious injuries who could be ferried in a private conveyance after the army personel reached the spot.

There are three pictures above: Pic (1) An injured lying down groaning in pain waiting for the ambulance at Devprayag after being injured. Pic (2) A pregnant women outside a hospital who delivered the baby on the walking bridge with blood splattered around and Pic (3) The ICU 108 ambulance.