As the horrors of the second wave of COVID-19 unfold resulting in a paucity of resources, the Delhi government on Thursday, 6 May, fixed charges levied by private ambulance services in the range of Rs 1,500-Rs 4,000. Further, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal warned of strict action against violators.
The CM said: “It has come to our notice that private ambulance services in Delhi are charging illegitimately. To curb this practice, Delhi government has capped the price that private ambulance services can charge. Strict action will be taken against those who violate the order.”
As per the notice shared by Kejriwal, Centralised Action and Trauma Service (CATS) is providing 24×7 free ambulance service in Delhi through toll-free number 102.
The Price Caps
Further, the notice has capped prices for various categories of ambulance as follows:
PATIENT TRANSPORT AMBULANCE (PTA)
Rs 1,500 per call up to 10 km and Rs 100 every additional kilometre above 10 km.
BASIC LIFE SUPPORT AMBULANCE (BLS)
Rs 2,000 per call up to 10km and Rs 10 every additional kilometre above 10 km
ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT AMBULANCE (ALS) INCLUDING CHARGES OF DOCTOR
Rs 4,000 per call up to 10 km and Rs 100 every additional kilometre above 10 km
Full Text of The Delhi Government Order
Read full text of the Delhi Government order here:
Assure No Death if Delhi Gets 700 MT Oxygen Daily: Kejriwal
Meanwhile, on Thursday, in a public address, Kejriwal stated that his administration “won’t let anyone die” of oxygen shortage if the capital receives its daily requirement of 700 tonnes of oxygen supply every day from the Centre.
"If we get an adequate supply of oxygen – 700 tonnes – we will be able to set up 9,000-9,500 beds in Delhi. We shall be able to create oxygen beds. I assure you that we shall not let anyone die to a shortage of oxygen in Delhi," said the chief minister in his statement.
“Yesterday, (5 May) we received 730 tonnes, which meets our daily requirement and I thank the Central government and the Delhi HC for their actions,” Kejriwal added.
In his address on Thursday, Kejriwal also appealed to to hospitals to reinstate their bed capacity, which had been reduced to manage the wave of COVID cases in the city.
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