Bokaro: The district administration is yet to fix accountability in connection with a snag in a 108-ambulance on Sunday leading to the death of a 77-year-old person at a community health centre (CHC) in Bokaro.
But the incident has once again brought to fore the poor upkeep and management of the fleet of ambulances. Not only this, many ambulance drivers here are also going without salaries for months.
The government ambulance service is run by a private agency named Ziquitza. Sources here said that it hasn’t paid salaries to the drivers and staff and is also somehow managing fuel expenses and maintenance of vehicles.
Deputy commissioner Kuldeep Kumar Chaudhary agreed while conducting an inquiry into the death of a patient, identified as Shishir Prasad. He was at Gomia CHC awaiting transfer to other hospital but a delay in starting the vehicle led to his demise. He breathed his last at the CHC.
Ziquitza’s local officials told the deputy commissioner that the ambulance’s battery had died and they had arranged another vehicle but the patient had died by then. During the inquiry process, the DC learnt about unpaid salaries of drivers and medical assistants in 108 ambulance for the last five months as the bill submitted by the agency to the district health department has not been cleared. “I have ordered to release the money immediately,” he said.
There are 21 ambulances under the 108 service in Bokaro, with 84 employees, including 42 drivers.
But the incident has once again brought to fore the poor upkeep and management of the fleet of ambulances. Not only this, many ambulance drivers here are also going without salaries for months.
The government ambulance service is run by a private agency named Ziquitza. Sources here said that it hasn’t paid salaries to the drivers and staff and is also somehow managing fuel expenses and maintenance of vehicles.
Deputy commissioner Kuldeep Kumar Chaudhary agreed while conducting an inquiry into the death of a patient, identified as Shishir Prasad. He was at Gomia CHC awaiting transfer to other hospital but a delay in starting the vehicle led to his demise. He breathed his last at the CHC.
Ziquitza’s local officials told the deputy commissioner that the ambulance’s battery had died and they had arranged another vehicle but the patient had died by then. During the inquiry process, the DC learnt about unpaid salaries of drivers and medical assistants in 108 ambulance for the last five months as the bill submitted by the agency to the district health department has not been cleared. “I have ordered to release the money immediately,” he said.
There are 21 ambulances under the 108 service in Bokaro, with 84 employees, including 42 drivers.
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