Maharashtra: Outdated Ambulances in Service as Tender for New Fleet Faces Opposition

Maharashtra's state health department is grappling with an ageing ambulance fleet. The service, established a decade ago, is now operating under challenging circumstances. The fleet, which was supposed to be replaced after ten years, is still in operation. The tender to replace the fleet, released in December, is stuck in dispute.

The 108-ambulance fleet of the Maharashtra Emergency Medical Services was launched on February 1, 2014. Over the past ten years, the service has responded to over 9.5 million emergencies.

The state plans to add 1756 new ambulances to the fleet. However, this proposal has been met with criticism from both the opposition and activists.

The INR 9,000 crore contract price increase for the service over the next ten years has raised eyebrows. Critics have also pointed out the lack of transparency and the delayed start of the process.

Due to the ongoing dispute, the government has extended the contract of BVG India Limited, the current operator, by three months. This extension will be valid until April 30, 2024.

The contractor is paid INR 30 crore each month, with the amount varying based on performance. This is assessed based on the number of vehicles, labour, and response time. The annual operational cost has risen from INR 360 crore to INR 759 crore due to the planned expansion of the fleet from 937 to 1756 ambulances.

Questions have been raised about why the bidding process was not started sooner, given that the state agency knew the current contract would end on January 31.

HT has reported that the IT and finance divisions have raised issues with the revised proposal. According to the report, the finance department has expressed disapproval of the increase in the cost of operations, while the IT department has expressed concerns about the ambulances' response times.

In the same report, opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar criticised the bidding process, stating that it violates the norms of the Central Vigilance Commission. With an investment of just INR 800 crore, the chosen operator will have ten times higher income in ten years. The leader of the opposition, Vijay Wadettiwar, further said.

Approximately 5% of the current fleet's ambulances are not operating at their best, impacting the service provided to individuals. The proposal for the PPP model was approved on August 4 of last year. However, only one bid was received after 48 working days.