Taking a serious note of the reports of private ambulances
overcharging Covid-19 patients, Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori on Saturday
fixed the rates for private ambulances in the district to ease patients.
Divulging the details, the deputy commissioner said that the charges for ambulance vans applicable in the district are a minimum of Rs 1200 for the first 15km and an additional Rs 12 per km for additional travel in BLS ambulances up to 2000 cc with basic life support. Similarly, for an ambulance above 2000 cc, minimum of Rs 1500 for the first 15km and an additional Rs 15 per km for additional travel, and an ambulance equipped with advanced cardiac life-support, the fixed fare will be Rs 2,000 for the first 15km, and an additional Rs 20 per km for additional travel. He further added that if an ambulance drops a Covid-19 patient within the city up to 10 km, the charges of Rs. 1000 would be charged followed by Rs. 600 and 800 up to 10 km for ambulances below and above 2000 cc respectively.
The district administration has also set another set of instructions for the ambulances including the availability of face masks, gloves, and PPE kits for the attendants at their (customers’) expense, hospitals are allowed to charge Rs. 1500 in case of sending paramedics in ventilator-ambulances, ambulances would not claim additional charges for oxygen gas, and oxygen plant owners were directed to fill oxygen cylinders in ambulances on a priority basis and at controlled prices.
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The DC said that strict action would be taken against those
who charge more than the fixed prices from the Covid-19 patients leading to the
registration of cases under the Epidemic Act. He said that anyone can contact
control room no 0181-2224417, 5073123 in case of any difficulty or complaint
against the ambulance.