Jharkhand govt seeks explanation from agency over deaths due to ambulance delay

The Jharkhand government has sought an explanation from the Hyderabad-based agency EMRI Green Health Services (EMRI-GHS), which is responsible for running the state’s special 108 free ambulance service, regarding the inordinate delay and non-arrival of ambulances, resulting in the deaths of referral patients across the state, according to officials familiar with the matter.

“We have sought an explanation from EMRI-GHS regarding the inordinate delays and, in some cases, the non-arrival of ambulances. They have been instructed to streamline their system and network to ensure the smooth functioning of the 108 ambulance service, especially intended for the poor and needy,” said Alok Trivedi, special secretary in the Jharkhand health department and the National Health Mission (NHM) director in the state, speaking to HT on Sunday evening.

Trivedi said that the state pays the agency ₹1.35 lakh per month per ambulance, depending on the running per kilometre, with all the facilities as per the tender conditions, including the driver, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), maintenance, etc.

The service is meant to be active 24 hours a day and seven days a week. However, instances abound where it didn’t arrive even after 24-30 hours, despite repeated telephone calls by the families of the concerned patients.

EMRI-GHS, on the other hand, attributed the high number of dysfunctional ambulances to the ones handed over to them by the previous agency, Mumbai-based Ziqitza Health Care Ltd (ZHL), and the new ambulances they were expecting from the state government under NHM.

The agency, which stirred into action after six patients died at MGMMCH while waiting for a 108 ambulance after being referred to higher medical centres, claimed on Sunday that they are streamlining the system and ensuring smooth services in Jamshedpur within the next few days.

“We presently have a fleet of 34 ambulances under the 108 ambulance service for Jamshedpur, but only 17 are functioning. We have adequate manpower, i.e., one driver and one EMT technician per ambulance. We are coordinating our network to address the requirement for ambulances in Jamshedpur by requisitioning our ambulances deployed at Patamda or Rajnagar and Nimdih in the neighbouring Seraikela-Kharsawan district. Things will improve in a day or two,” said Dilip Kumar Mahato, program manager of EMRI-GHS, sent from Ranchi HQ, speaking to HT on Sunday.

“We immediately need the 70 ambulances that are yet to be handed over to us. Out of these 70 ambulances, 44 are old, while the state government has assured us of handing over the 26 new pediatric ambulances shortly,” Mahato added.

The agency lamented that although Jharkhand has a fleet of 543 ambulances for the 108 free ambulance services in the entire state, only 279 are currently on the road, while 194 ambulances are off-road. Out of the 543 ambulances, 337 are old, and 206 are new.

“The reason these old ambulances are off-road is that the previous agency, ZHL, didn’t carry out proper maintenance. About 150 vehicles were not in working condition, and some are undergoing servicing or repair. We had received 473 vehicles from the previous agency, out of which 293 are old and 180 are new ambulances,” Mahato explained.

“Those ambulances that have not been handed over to us by ZHL need to be repaired and handed over. Some ambulances are not in working condition at all. The responsibility for this lies with ZHL, which previously operated the 108 services because the contract clearly states that the maintenance of the vehicles must be done by the agency engaged during the contract period,” Mahato emphasised.