Thiruvananthapuram: The sirens of 108 emergency ambulance services might once again reverberate on the street of the capital city as all the 21 ambulances will be pressed back into service by October. Over half the ambulances have been rolled out after major works including engine overhauls. All the 108 vehicles which are over seven years have clocked between two and three lakh kilometres, the service ceiling. Around Rs 50 lakhs has been spent by officials to make the ambulances roadworthy.
Deccan Chronicle had earlier reported that MVD officials had expressed displeasure in giving fitness certificates to vehicles repeatedly. The ambulances have also been repainted and deployed at Thycaud, Nemom, Neyyattinkara Peroorkada, Kesavadasapuram and Managalapuram among others. Accident victims were left at the mercy of police vehicles and private ambulance service providers for a few months as the 108 vehicles were taken off the road.
The permits of vehicles expired by April- May months but no major steps were taken until July to ensure that they attended to patients. Finally, Health Minister KK Shailaja instructed NHRM to repair the vehicles and make them roadworthy. The 108 ambulance services have attended to around five lakh emergency cases and had assisted in delivery of around 110 babies.
