SRIKAKULAM: Out of twenty-eight 108 ambulance vehicles in the district, scheduled to cater the services to the people of 38 mandals, only 17 vehicles are plying on the roads and the rest have been confined to the sheds since many days.
Reduced number of vehicles is resulting in the delay of reaching the spot after attending the calls from the victims. With no alternative, the existing ambulance vehicles have to shift the people even from the nearby mandals adjacent to their limits.
Moreover keeping this in view people are hiring private vehicles in case of emergencies. About two months ago, district vigilance and enforcement sleuths inspected several 108 ambulance vehicles and found most of them were out of order. They found even few ambulances had not stretchers and oxygen cylinders.
According to the sources from medical department the 108 ambulance vehicles from Ichchauram, Sompeta, Mandasa, Nandigam, Narasannapeta, Hiramandalam, Gara, Seetampeta, Regidi Amadalavalasa, Ponduru and Santakaviti had been remained under repair.
While 108 ambulance vehicle of Ponduru had been confined to garage for past 10 months after it met with an accident, Mandasa vehicle had been confined to shed for past one month and Seetampeta vehicle had been remained under repair for more than one and half months.
Since no specialist services available from the hospital, we refer the patients to the MKCG medical college at Berhampur in Odisha said an official from CHC of Ichchapuram on condition of anonymity.
Though there is a huge need of 108 ambulance vehicle services for Ichchpauram people, victims are commonly being replied by the 108 officials like either the vehicle was broken down or to wait for two to three hours. Vexing with the answers, people are hiring private vehicles to rush to the nearby hospitals.
When contacted 108 district manager Akil said that the vehicles undergoing repair at garage in Visakhapatnam would be resumed in next few days. District medical and health officer Dr.S.Tirupathi Rao said that he would conduct a review soon with 108 officials.