The Rescue 1122 Emergency Services needs Rs396 million to buy new ambulances, including 24 for Lahore to replace its entire fleet of vehicles that have passed their reliable operational life.
Six ambulances have been brought in from other districts in the Punjab to manage the cases in Lahore, affecting the coverage of emergency services in those districts, said Emergency Services Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer.
According to the standard operating procedures for the Emergency Services of Punjab, ambulances must be replaced after three years or 100,000 kilometres, whichever comes first.
The Rescue 1122 service began in Lahore on October 14, 2004, with a crew of 14 ambulances. The entire fleet was replaced with new ambulances in 2007. These vehicles are still in use five years later. One of them has travelled over 280,000 km, two have travelled over 230,000 km and 15 have crossed 150,000 km, said sources in the Rescue 1122 repair and maintenance department. They said that four or five ambulances broke down every day while responding to emergency calls.
“Due to the poor shape they are in we need more money every year to repair the ambulances,” said the sources. Last year, the department spent Rs12 million repairing ambulances.
Meanwhile, the number of emergency calls has risen from about 90 a day on average in 2007 to 230 a day. Rescue 1122 has only five lines to listen to thousands of calls from the city daily. Some emergency calls have to be declined because of the non-availability of ambulances, said the sources.
They said many of the ambulances were also short on medicine and equipment including pyodine, bandages, IV lines, IV solution and cannulas.
The department is also having trouble on keeping its employees happy, with more than 240 rescuers leaving, mostly because they wanted better pay and promotion prospects, said the sources.
Rescue 1122 has received two new ambulances recently as donations from Turkish company Tika and New Age Cables.
Dr Naseer said that the department had first made a request to the government to replace the ambulances in 2010, and had repeated the request several times since then.
“The government agreed but the funds have not been released. As a result, the requirements for the rehabilitation of the service are increasing. The first time we sent the request, we needed less than Rs100 million. Now we need Rs396 million,” he said.
The director general said that the service needed 66 new ambulances for all of the Punjab, including 24 for Lahore.
He said that the shortage of medicines and equipment was being resolved, as the department had worked out a way to procure what it needs alongside the bulk purchase deals for medicines made by the Health Department for public hospitals.
Asked why so many employees were leaving the department, he said that when it had opened, the emergency services had hired a lot of young people. He said a lot of people felt they would have better opportunities elsewhere, so they had moved on.
He said during Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s visit to the Rescue 1122 training centre three months ago, he had asked him to raise the salaries of rescuers. The chief minister had announced that the rescuers’ salaries would be raised to the level of the police, but this had not happened yet.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 21st, 2012.
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It speaks sad state of affairs in Punjab. I salute officials of Rescue 1122. They deserve exceptionally good pay scales and perks, as Rescue 1122 is the only organization which enjoys the respect of common citizens of Pakistan.
Since 1122 was founded by Pervaiz Elahi, Khadim-e-Punjab is not interested to further improve it.
Punjab govt has billions for laptops but not millions for ambulances!!
1122 is excellent service if we don't occupy them with our prank calls.....their salaries should be increased to the level of police and what-ever necessary funds needed must be provided....They are Heroes
Shahbaz Sharif have scrapped Lahore Sialkot Motorway only because it was started by Pervaiz Ilahi and even the land was bought and now this land is sold back at throw away prices. Similarly Punjab gov is doing every effort to end Emergency 1122 because it was started by Pervaiz Elahi and they want to end every project of Pervaiz Ilahi either by hook or by crook and the same fate was done to food street. The personal enmity is put first rather than the interest of the people in all of the projects. I wonder someday Shahbaz will try to end the Punjab Elite Commandoes or Janaaz Group of Punjab because it was initiated by Pervaiz Ilahi as well.
Shame on Punjab Government.... The Shariefs want to undo anything which was done by previous government, even if it hurts ordinary people. PML-N is just bunch of vindictive looters.
This scheme is absolutely essential for Pak. They are doing an amazing job. Such services are rare in developing countries.
I urge the government to give this rescue package to this important institution, and more importantly, the federal government should take the initiative and spread this to other provinces.
1122 is an excellent service and credit goes to Pervaiz Elahi who started this. Lets see Punjab government has fund or not for this ordinary work. They are just investing funds to buy votes (Lap top Scheme) and this project seems less profitable. Return on investment is very less in this scheme.