Even though doctors and nurses are putting their best efforts to save patients lives amid the second wave of COVID-19, the current situation — where hospitals are overburdened and there is a shortage of ambulance services and medical supplies – is also bringing out the worst in people. Few people, instead of helping others, are exploiting them in their misery. This is evident as ambulance services in the national capital are charging Rs 10,000 for a 4km trip to ferry critical Covid patients to healthcare facilities. Putting an end to all the moral values, the ambulance service providers in Delhi are allegedly forcing the suffering citizens to line up with open wallets.
IPS officer Arun Bothra, on April 28, shared a receipt given by DK Ambulance Service for payment of Rs 10,000 to take a patient from Pitampura to Fortis Hospital, a 4km distance. He said that the “world is watching our moral values.”
Ten thousand rupees for a distance of four kms. Ambulance rental in Delhi. The world is watching us today. Not only the devastation but also our moral values. pic.twitter.com/dZoJpSbF6c
— Arun Bothra (@arunbothra) April 28, 2021
Bothra’s tweet has received over 19,000 tweets and over 61,000 likes. The tweet went viral on social media and people agreed with him. Netizens also shared various incidents where medical facilities providers allegedly looted people during these testing times.
Pulse oxymeter regular price 850-1000. Now a Days anything more than 2500/-.Oxygen cylinder refill at any cost. Oxygen concerntrators regular price 30-35000/- now days 60K. Now this Ambulance charges. We Indians are at our level best. 100 mein se 99 beimaan phir mera desh mahan.— Vimal Datt (@VimalDatt) April 29, 2021
Quoting your lines " You may extort some money from people in pain but someday your Karma will come back to settle this account"KARMA WAITING 🙏
— ✨Pushpita✨ (@ThePushpitaDas) April 28, 2021
शायद यह आप का भ्रम है कि हम ज़िन्दा है। हमारी आत्माओं ने तो कब का साथ छोड़ दिया.. बस घसीटते जा रहे है।— Rahul Verma (@rahulverma08) April 28, 2021
I have bought Oxygen Concentrator for 2Lakhs. Original price of the device is 79,500— Srinivas Velumuri (@SriniVelumuri) April 29, 2021
People are now demanding from the Delhi government to cap the per-kilometre rate that ambulances can charge, as is being done in states such as Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Reportedly, in Rajasthan, the rate for bigger ambulances has been fixed at Rs 17.50/km. In normal times, the cost of ambulance use in Delhi is Rs 500 for first 5km and then Rs 50-60/km after that.
Delhi on Thursday reported 24,235 new Covid-19 cases, 395 deaths and 25,615 recoveries. There are 97,977 active cases in the national capital. Hospitals across Delhi are reportedly having a shortage of medical oxygen refill. Many patients have died in the past few weeks after oxygen ran out in some hospitals.
Read all the Latest News and Breaking News here