No mechanism to check private ambulances in Telangana: Officials

HYDERABAD: Amid the growing demand for ambulances due to rise in Covid-19 cases, health and transport officials said there is no mechanism to monitor these emergency vehicles in Telangana. According to sources, private ambulances are nothing but taxis fitted with sirens transporting patients from one place to another without any infrastructure needed for out-of-hospital care while ferrying patients.
Ashok Palle, president of Telangana State 108 employees’ union, said, “There is no mechanism to monitor the certification of private ambulances plying on roads in the state. No one checks if there is a paramedic, a first-aid kit or a mechanical ventilator in the ambulance. Only a few corporate hospitals in the city have a qualified paramedic and Advanced Life Support (ALS) equipment.”
Palle also said there is a dire necessity for certified training of paramedics where they learn how much oxygen should be provided to the patient depending on their condition and age. “I have seen a lot of cases where patients have died after connecting the oxygen machine,” he added. A state health official said, “Private ambulances are not at all equipped with out-of-hospital care for patients. We always suggest our patients use the 108 service where there is at least a trained paramedic and basic equipment. Operating these vehicles as ‘ambulances’ is illegal as there is no standard operating procedure.”.”
While there are a set of guidelines provided by the transport department, P Ravinder Kumar, Regional Transport Officer, Uppal said that operators only adhere to them at the time of vehicle inspection. “We ensure that there is a first-aid kit, the dimensions of the stretcher are in place and all safety equipment that is mandatory for an ambulance are fitted. But despite our efforts, there are a few operators who don’t use them,” he said. Worse, industry players said ambulance owners do not require any licensing. “Anyone who has money can start the service,” said NVG Raja, founder of AMBUS, an ambulance app.