With the State Government asking the operators of Khushiyon Ki Sawari ambulances to resume operation immediately, on Tuesday, these vehicles resumed the task of facilitating pre and post natal transportation for pregnant women.
This ambulance service is designed specifically for pregnant women. It is used to take them to the hospitals for institutional and safe deliveries and these vehicles also drop back the mothers and new born to their homes. In absence of funds, these vehicles were off the roads for last two days affecting the health services of the State.
The Project Director of NRHM, Neeraj Khairwal said that the operators were asked to resume the ambulance service. He said that there is no problem of the Budget for the service.
The State head of GVK, EMRI emergency services, Manish Tinku said that the forty vehicles, which were not operating, were back on the service till Tuesday evening.
The GVK, EMRI operates both the 108 emergency ambulance service and Khushiyon Ki Swari service in the State.
The 108 service has a fleet of 139 ambulances, which includes a boat ambulance while the Khushiyon ki Sawari has 95 vehicles in its service in the State.
It is learnt that these vehicles were stopped as the pending fuel bills were not paid to the pump owners. The annual budget of the Khushiyon ki Sawari ambulance service is `8 crore.
However, the issue of delay of Budget regularly plagues the ambulance service in the State.
In January this year also, the wheels of the all important ambulance service were halted due to delay in Budget.