| Punjab based ambulances make fortunes in Jammu, authority in slumber | | |  Nitesh Sangral
Early Times Report
Jammu, July 2: Owing to the nexus between some of the officials of the Health Department, the Punjab based ambulances, without obtaining the mandatory permission from the concerned authority, are ruling the roost in Jammu.
Sources told Early Times that in absence proper rules and regulations for the ambulances, Punjab based ambulances are running illegally and created a hub of illegal business by earning huge amount through private hospitals of the neighbouring states. "Some of the agents, doctors, and middlemen are running an alleged nexus in the Government Medical College Jammu. The private hospitals are asked to park its ambulances near the hospital so attendants, who are convinced to take their patients outside the hospital, can get the ambulances easily," sources alleged, adding that therefore, as sunset the private ambulances especially Punjab based are seen parked near the hospital. Sources further alleged that a mafia, being run by some middlemen and agents of some private hospitals of Punjab, is ruling the roost and apparently controlling the affairs of transportation of patients, as the hospital doesn't have enough ambulances to cater heavy rush or their drivers are hardly available at the time of need. As a patient, who sustains serious injuries including Head, Bone, and others, enters in the hospital a group of agents with the help of some insiders is active and start manipulating attendants that there is no treatment available and patient will be neglected. The attendants are compelled to shift their patient from this hospital to outside the state, sources shared. "After motivated the attendants, they get the amount from the private hospitals after taking the patient to the private hospital even few doctors also get some benefits, "sources also stated. If sources are to be believed few of ambulances are also ready to take the patient without any charge as the hospital is bearing transportation charges and later include the charges in patient's bill reportedly. As per rules, it is a must for an ambulance to get registered itself with concerned authorities but neither checked nor intercepted by the authorities. When the matter was taken up with Director of Directorate Health Service (DHS) Dr Gurjeet Singh said that this issue comes under Medical College. On being asked have these ambulances got permission from the department, he replied that no ambulance has taken permission so far and the department is not supposed to give authorization to any ambulance. |
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