Five out of nine vehicles out of order

Nine ambulances, five not working while four are being used to transport doctors to relief camps.

KARACHI:

Out of the city government’s fleet of nine ambulances, five are not working while four are being used to transport doctors to relief camps.

These vehicles, worth Rs2.6 million each, are part of the City District Government Karachi’s (CDGK) emergency service project. The Express Tribune has learnt that since the city government does not have the money to get the ambulances repaired, they may be auctioned as scrap material.

However, Health EDO Dr Nasir Jawaid Sheikh said that the ambulance service has not been scrapped and is still operating. “There are nine ambulances of which four are being used to pick and drop visiting doctors and paramedics to the relief camps in Razzaqabad,” said Sheikh. He admitted, nevertheless, that five from the fleet are parked at Civic Centre as they are not working. A district officer (DO) told The Express Tribune that these nine ambulances were repaired in the past and their cost has now gone up to at least Rs5.6 million.

According to him, the CDGK had established the City Ambulance Rescue and Emergency Services (Cares) on June 15, 2008, and the dedicated ambulance services were placed under it. An organisation chart showed that Cares will be supported by the services of the district officer, sub-ordinates and other workers. The DO also opposed the practice of using these vehicles to transport doctors. He said that CDGK doctors are already provided cars.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th,  2011.