In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, the Maharashtra government has decided to release ₹90 crores on Tuesday, July 21, to procure 500 ambulances for the rural areas across the state.
Rajesh Tope, Minister of Public Health and Family Welfare, four months into the pandemic has realized that the rural and mental hospitals across the state do not have ambulances. However, the pandemic has woken up the government officials who have realized the absence of proper infrastructure to shift the patients living in rural areas. According to sources, 253 ambulances will be given to public health care centres under the Zila Parishad, 137 to rural hospitals, 106 to district and women’s hospitals and four to regional mental hospitals.
Meanwhile, Tope, earlier speaking to the media had stated that each ward in Mumbai will have five to 10 ambulances. He further asked the citizens to not pay high prices for private services.
He further added that the government ambulances will be coordinated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Cooperation (BMC) helpline which is 1916 and the ward-level officials. Furthermore, he said that, at the moment, there are 500 ambulances available in the city of Mumbai, stating that 150 more will be made available. Presently, there are 500 ambulances available. 50 more ambulances have been received from Mahindra & Mahindra Group, while 150 ambulances will be available soon. Therefore, 650 ambulances are touted to be available in Mumbai. Tope also urged the citizens to contact the corona-war room in the ward and register an ambulance which will make the service free to the residents.
On the other hand, Maharashtra, on Tuesday, July 21, recorded 8,369 fresh cases of the coronavirus in the state which took the tally of confirmed cases to 3,27,031. The death toll rose to 12,276 after 246 succumbed to the coronavirus in the last 24 hours.
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