The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Ambulance operators’ struggle

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Monday, Jul 07, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Ambulance operators’ struggle

V.S. Palaniappan

Photo: M. Periasamy.

SPOKE IN THEIR WHEEL: The rise in fuel cost is having its impact on ambulance services. —

Skyrocketing inflation and resultant rise in prices of essential commodities have not spared any sector. Ambulance operation is no exception. The soaring prices of diesel in the last four years have left ambulance operators struggling for survival.

While hospitals subsidise the cost of ambulance operation, private operators fix flat rates (notwithstanding the distance). Coimbatore accounts for more than 260 private ambulances while almost all major hospitals have their own fleet.

The hospitals point out that the rates for operating ambulances are collected separately and are never factored into the treatment bill.

The hospital managements, irrespective of whether charitable or corporate, subsidise the loss since the patient is treated at their hospital. In the organised ambulance operation run by the respective hospitals, the lowest rate is Rs. 10 a km and depending on the other facilities such as doctors, paramedical staff and life support systems, the charges vary. Rates for a km were quoted at Rs. 14, Rs. 15 and even Rs. 17.

“We are subsidising the cost of ambulance service by providing Rs. one lakh to Rs. two lakh,” says G. Bakthavathsalam, chairman of KG Hospitals.

Mr. Bakthavathsalam said that the concept of ambulance services by Emergency Medical Research Institute (EMRI) of Hyderabad in association with the Government would bring about a transformation in the transportation of patients. Some of the hospitals as part of their obligation to the community offered free service in the form of helpline services.On the part of the unorganised ambulance vehicle operators, police authorities are obliged to provide the vans free to remove the injured and also unclaimed bodies for postmortem. These expenses are getting cross subsidised in collecting flat fixed rates from people. Unorganised private ambulance operators often prefer to go in for fixed rate. Justifying the demand to fix flat rates, one of the ambulance operators said that diesel, tyres, spare parts and engine oil costs, road tax, insurance premium and toll for bridges and roads were proving to be huge for them. In addition, the ambulances had started doubling up as mortuary vans for taking the bodies to houses while the unorganised ambulance operators use their vans as mortuary vans for the funeral. The fixed rates collected for funerals provided the much required relief from huge losses, pointed out operators.

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