Maharashtra government to purchase 500 ambulances for rural areas

To augment healthcare services in the state, especially in rural areas, the Maharashtra government has decided to purchase 500 ambulances and has released around

To augment healthcare services in the state, especially in rural areas, the Maharashtra government has decided to purchase 500 ambulances and has released around ₹90 crore for the procurement of the same. An order to this effect was released by the state health department on July 17.

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Officials said this will help the state fight the Covid-19 outbreak.

Deputy chief minister and finance minister Ajit Pawar had, while presenting budget for 2020-21, made the announcement about buying the ambulances to replace the old ones over the next two years. However, in view of the outbreak and the difficulties faced by the people in rural areas, the government has now decided to procure 500 ambulances in this year only.

As most of the ambulances in these areas are old and cannot be repaired, it has become hard for the state to provide health facilities to the people, said an official from the health department.

The department needs a total of 731 ambulances.

Of the 500 ambulances that are going to be procured, 253 will be for primary health centres functioning at zilla parishad level, 137 for rural hospitals, 106 for district, sub-district and women hospitals, and four ambulances are going to be handed over to regional mental hospitals, states the order.