NHRC notice to the Government of Delhi over nearly a fifth of its ambulance fleet under CATS currently out of action (18.09.2018)

PRESS RELEASE

New Delhi, 18th September, 2018

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India has taken suo motu cognizance of media report that Delhi Government's Central Accident and Trauma Service, CATS, Ambulance, which is a critical emergency response service is struggling with delays, lack of equipment and poor maintenance, with nearly a fifth of its ambulance fleet currently out of action. It further reveals that CATS could not run because of empty fuel tanks and as such many calls went unattended because the ambulances did not have fuel or the money to buy it.

The Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Govt. of NCT of Delhi calling for detailed report, within four weeks, on the reported depleting fleet of CATS ambulances and the steps taken in this regard by the Government to make the services accessible to the common citizens by ensuring full operation of the entire fleet of CATS ambulances.

It has observed on the basis of media report that it would definitely cause irretrievable damage to the patients, if on call, the services of CATS ambulance could not be provided to them. The difference, if any, between the Government and the company in question, who is responsible to run the CATS ambulances may be addressed at the earliest to ease the services of CATS ambulances to the citizens of the national capital, keeping in mind emergency services of such vehicles.

According to the media report, carried today on the 18th September, 2018, 50 of 265 CATS ambulances are off the road for want of repairs. These include four advanced life support ambulances, 30 basic life support vehicles and 10 patient support ambulances. The rest of the fleet is also hampered by poor maintenance and lack of equipment.

Reportedly, the State Government had outsourced the operation maintenance of the CATS fleet to the present company M/s BVG UKSAS EMS Pvt. Ltd. for better management of services, after a tendering process in the year 2006. It is revealed from the said news report that allegations of non-payment of outstanding dues could be the cause of not running the ambulance services. However, the Director of CATS, reportedly, denied that the issue of non-payment of dues could be the cause for inability to run the service by the Company.

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