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IMA demands 108 ambulance service for all hospitals
IMA doctors have demanded that 108 service be made available to all hospitals, irrespective of empanelment status
Pune: The Public Health department recently extended the 108 ambulance service to private hospitals empanelled under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) and the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY). However, doctors from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have called for further changes, demanding that the service be made available to all hospitals, irrespective of their empanelment status.
According to IMA doctors, restricting the 108 ambulance service to a select group of hospitals defeats its fundamental purpose - ensuring timely emergency response service. Most patients initially seek treatment at small and medium-sized private hospitals, which are not part of any government health scheme. As a result, these hospitals cannot access the 108-ambulance service.
Dr Sunil Ingale, president, IMA, Pune chapter, informed that the issue was even discussed during the recent meeting by the association members. “The patients visit nearby hospitals for medical attention. The treating doctors are the people who know which case is an emergency and needs medical management at a higher institute. However, despite the case being an emergency, these patients cannot avail the 108 ambulance, which is an emergency response service,” he said.
According to health officials, over 202 (public and private) hospitals in Pune district are empanelled under the MJPJAY and PMJAY scheme. However, a vast majority of clinics, nursing homes, and smaller hospitals remain outside the system, although these are the first point of contact for most patients.
Dr Sanjay Patil, national secretary, Hospital Board of India, said, “Even in critical emergency cases, when the private hospitals request the 108 service, it is refused. When the same patients are shifted to a public footpath, they qualify for a free ambulance service. This leads to patients’ inconvenience and waste of golden hours, all because of bureaucratic technicality.”
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Health minister Prakash Abitkar urged private hospitals to get empanelled under the MJPJAY and PM-JAY schemes. “The priority of the government is to provide treatment to the needy patients, and with the help of the big private hospitals, we can serve them better. Some of the private hospitals don’t need the 108 services, as they have their own ambulances. However, if the current rules are leading to inconvenience of patients, we will make changes in the 108 service,” he said.
