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Families left fuming as pvt ambulances charge a bomb to transport Covid patients
Gurugram The surge in Covid cases in Gurugram and the subsequent rise in demand for private ambulances has left relatives of many Covid patients fuming as they find themselves paying exorbitant fares to operators to transport their loved ones
Gurugram The surge in Covid cases in Gurugram and the subsequent rise in demand for private ambulances has left relatives of many Covid patients fuming as they find themselves paying exorbitant fares to operators to transport their loved ones. The families have demanded capping ambulance fares and asked the district administration to take steps to stop the fleecing.
According to relatives, private ambulance drivers are allegedly demanding ₹20,000 to ₹30,000 to shift a patient from a house to a private hospital, within a 5 km radius. For outstation transport, the drivers are allegedly demanding between ₹70,000 and ₹1.5 lakh. Many doctors at private hospitals also alleged that ambulance operators and drivers are making exorbitant demands to shift patients.
With shortage of oxygen reported across the city on Saturday and Sunday, several families have taken steps to move patients to hospitals in their home towns.
Nandkishore Deoli, whose brother-in-law was admitted in a Sector 56 hospital, said he decided to shift him to Dehradun but the ambulance driver asked him for ₹70,000 for the transport. When they finally agreed to the demand, the driver raised the fee to ₹1.50 lakh, claiming that he will have to return with an empty ambulance. “We took my brother-in-law in our private car as we didn’t have any other option,” he said.
Amit Kumar, brother of a critical patient who was shifted to Jaipur on Sunday, alleged that they had to pay ₹80,000 to the ambulance driver. “We contacted six ambulances and their prices were almost the same. We had no choice, so we hired and shifted the patient to another hospital. There was no oxygen and by paying this amount, at least we have saved his life,” he said.
Ashish Singla, chief medical officer (CMO), MCG, said they operate 35 ambulances. “We are providing these ambulances free of cost, but other private ambulances do not fall in our jurisdiction. These drivers do not come under our department and we do not have their details. Families should contact us on 18001801817 or 1950 helpline numbers after any home isolation death or to shift a patient from home to hospital,” he said.
On the other hand, the regional transport authority (RTA) of Gurugram, said that they have provided 20 ambulances to MCG, capping the charges at ₹15/km. “We can only cap those whose requisitions are done through us. There are more than 200 private ambulances and we do not maintain their records and movements. We can only provide their registration details. They are private ambulances belonging to individuals and hospitals,” said Dhaarna Yadav, secretary, RTA, Gurgram.
Yadav said they have not received any complaints so far but added that they will take action if anyone come forward and share details. “People should share videos, pictures, and details of the ambulance or drivers. We will take action as soon as we receive a complaint. People should come forward and hand over a complaint to us mentioning they had booked an ambulance from which area to which destination. If they want, we will not disclose their identity,” she said.
A senior district official said that steps are underway to fix rate per kilometre to ensure people are not fleeced by drivers.
(Police quote awaited)
