25 more ambulances in NMC’s fleet; 4 vehicles to be deployed in each zone

Staff Reporter :

■ RTO sanctions first lot of converted ambulances, erstwhile schools vans, to tide over shortage of ambulances

NAGPUR Municipal Corporation (NMC) has added 25 ambulances to its fleet and has now proposed to deployed four vehicles in each of the ten zones so that citizens do not have to wait endlessly in time of emergency. In the meantime, acting upon suggestion of civic body, Regional Transport Office (RTO) has accorded sanction to first lot of converted ambulances, erstwhile schools vans, to tide over shortage of ambulances in time of pandemic. A small function was held at NMC Headquarters at Civil Lines, Vijay Zalke, Chairperson, Standing Committee, flagged off the ambulances to respective zones for assisting the civic officials.

As of now, NMC had fleet of 40 ambulances and Mayor Sandip Joshi and Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B are trying to draft more vehicles so that citizens can be rest assured of promptness of services from NMC. Zalke said with decentralised approach to contain spread of COVID-19 virus, each of the Zones would now be in better position to reach out to patients requiring hospitalisation. “Civic administration has made provision of portable cylinder, masks and gloves for staff manning the ambulances and sanitizers. The fleet of 65 ambulances would ensure that present needs of Nagpurians are met with,” said Zalke.

Civic administration and office-bearers stepped in to address issue of shortage of ambulances as due to rush of positive patients people often had to wait hours together to get one. Citizens used to dial 108, the state helpline number in time of emergency, to seek ambulance, one having oxygen facility, when they felt breathlessness. But in majority of cases NMC failed to take adequate steps during the time of lockdown to increase fleet of ambulances.

With new Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishnan B taking Mayor and entire political and administrative establishment into confidence, the issue of ambulances has been rightly addressed.Till recently many complaints about late arrival of ambulances resulted in people under home observation dying on way to hospital as the virus rapidly attacked the patients. Ram Joshi, Additional Commissioner; Nirbhay Jain, Deputy Commissioner; Dr Narendra Bahirwar, Medical Health Officer; Dr Vijay Joshi, Asstt. Health Officer; Shakeel Niyazi, Traffic Engineer; C H Jamdhade, Inspector, RTO (City); Sanjay Fendarkar; Inspector; Ravindra Pagey, Arun Pipurde, both with NMC's Transport Department, were present on the occasion.