Sindh govt’s ambulance projects yet to take off

More than 100 ambulances rusting under open sky

KARACHI:

The Sindh government has failed to provide a modern ambulance service in its 15-year tenure, claimed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Parliamentary Leader in Sindh Assemble Khurram Sher Zaman

Zaman went to the parking area of Civil Hospital, Makli, with his social media team and made video of the ambulances imported by Sindh government in collaboration with the World Bank and Aman Foundation.

The provincial government had launched Peoples Ambulance Service and Rescue 1122, but, Zaman said, both the projects have been a complete failure. More than 100 ambulances purchased under two projects were parked in a plot under open sky.

Rescue 1122 project was inaugurated by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on June 1, 2022, while the Peoples Ambulance Services was inaugurated by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in 2021.

Peoples Ambulance Service was announced for Thatta and Sujawal while Rescue 1122 was supposed to provide ambulance service to the people in Jacobabad, Shikarpur and Shaheed Benazirabad including Ghotki, Mirpurkhas, Kashmore and Kandhkot.

However, instead of providing the ambulances to the concerned districts, they are parked in an empty plot in front of Civil Hospital, Makli.

After the video went viral on social media, Sindh Health Department announced to provide ambulances to the concerned districts. The health department has issued a statement that serious steps are being taken to launch the ambulance service.

In this regard, the provincial government announced that it has given 52 modern ambulances to the Sindh Integrated Emergency and Health Services (SIEHS) to operate 10 vehicles in Ghotki, 17 in Mitpurkhas, 10 in Kashmore Kandhkot, five in Shikarpur, 10 in Shaheed Banazirabad, and five in Jacobabad.

The provincial government claimed that the process to register these vehicles was under way. Moreover, health department is training the paramedics who will be onboard these ambulances to serve the people.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the PTI's senior leader said that the Sindh government always makes a lot of claims, but nothing is done practically.

People in the interior of Sindh use donkey carts and motorcycles to transport patients to the hospitals in case of emergency.

Zaman said that the issue will also be raised in Sindh Assembly so that people can get modern ambulance service along with health facilities.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2023.