Delhi Government’s Expenditure and Finance Committee (EFC) approved five mega projects worth `99.98 crore, including 110 CATS ambulances relating to Department of Health and Family Welfare and Education Department.
The major projects include procurement of 100 basic life support ambulances, 10 advanced life support ambulances for centralized accident and trauma services (CATS) and construction of building of Senior Secondary School at Sector 3, Sector 21 Phase II, Sector 22 Phase III and Sector 23 in Rohini.
The Expenditure Finance Committee headed by the Chief Secretary DM Spolia on Thursday considered and approved five mega projects in a meeting held at Delhi Secretariat. This is good news for Delhi which records 13,000-15,000 cases a month requiring CATS services. And enjoying the parallel benefit will be the Police Control Room (PCR) unit, which often complains of having to double up as “patient transport vehicle”.
The Union Government in its Delhi Budget 2014-15 had announced enhancing of CATS by procurement of 100 basic life support ambulances. While the ambulances will be procured by the Health and Family welfare Department, construction of school buildings will be commissioned by Directorate of Education (DoE) and the construction of these buildings will be done by Public Works Department (PWD).
CATS was visualised as a planned scheme under 6th Plan in 1984. In 2001, 30 Nissan ambulances were procured from Japan under the WHO-aided programme. In 2010, 31 Force Motors
ambulances were received from the Department of Health and Family Welfare during the Commonwealth Games. These were advance life support and basic life support ambulances. In 2012, 70 ambulances were added to the existing fleet of 31 under National Rural Health Mission scheme of the Union Health Ministry.