Munger Sadar Hospital told to keep an ambulance ready 24x7 outside emergency ward
After a referred patient reportedly waited about two hours for an ambulance, Munger's civil surgeon told the operating agency to keep one at the emergency ward.
The health department in Munger, Bihar, has told the ambulance operating agency to keep one ambulance available round the clock outside the emergency ward of Sadar Hospital, Prabhat Khabar reported on 24 October.
Civil Surgeon Dr Raju gave the instruction to the agency's representative on Saturday. He also asked that the condition of ambulances at the hospital be monitored regularly.
What led to the order
The civil surgeon said he learned that on Friday a patient referred from the emergency ward had to wait about two hours for an ambulance. He said several ambulances had been posted along the Durga Puja immersion routes and at Sojhi Ghat, and because immersion continued until Friday, they were at those locations. This caused the delay at the hospital. The patient was later given an ambulance with the help of hospital staff and the agency's representative.
Under the new arrangement, one ambulance is to stay outside the emergency ward in normal circumstances, so that patients get one without avoidable delay.
Why it matters for ambulance owners and drivers
Agencies running ambulances under government contracts may be asked to keep dedicated vehicles at hospitals even during festival deployments.
Read the full report at the source: Prabhat Khabar
This is a summary written by the Ambulance Owner Association. The facts are from the source named above.