Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Sep 29: The government has been making alternative arrangements to ensure that the flash strike resorted to by the personnel manning its ambitious ‘108’ ambulance services since Wednesday afternoon, will not harm the people. The services of all the 19 ambulances in Dakshina Kannada district have come to a screeching halt since Wednesday, as the drivers and other personnel of these vehicles have stopped work, demanding better facilities and lesser work.

District health and family welfare officer, Dr O Srirangappa, said that the striking employees have not heeded to the instructions to surrender the keys of the ambulances and their mobile sets to the district health officer, and that only keys and mobile sets relating to three vehicles were received. “The GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI), which manages this service, have sent keys relating to seven such ambulances by air on Wednesday. As such, ten vehicles will be operational on Thursday. We will be making use of services of additional drivers of the health department and ambulances for making the service available. Keys of other vehicles will reach us by Thursday. The government has also asked us to utilise the services of spare drivers from KSRTC and other departments,” he explained.

By holding a video conference with the district deputy commissioners on Wednesday, secretary in the department of health, Raman Reddy, has passed on instructions to keep the ambulance services in readiness. Within a couple of days, all the ambulances will be pressed into service, Dr Srirangappa said.