AMBULANCE SERVICES NEED A REVAMP

Ambulance services require a mandatory revamp for Covid patients by Himanshu Sridhar 

The Coronavirus has brought the world on its knees. Covid patients require utmost tending to and care. But this is being carried through exorbitant rates fixed by ambulance services. A standardized need to conduct services for the Covid afflicted patients were broached under the guidelines of the Supreme Court on Friday, September 11th. 

• The verdict of the Supreme Court: 

The Supreme Court or the apex court directed a hearing on September 11 brought on the floor various motions for the states to carry on a seamless and stipulated service rate, thus eliminating the need for disparities to arise. The moratorium issued by the advisory board of the Supreme Court heard of a PIL(Public Interest Litigation) to solely focus on increasing the provision of dutiful and negligible services to Covid patients at reasonable rates. 

• Centre’s standard operating procedure(SOP) and it’s role in ensuring equanimity in rates:
  The SOP’s are needed to facilitate and give ambulance drivers some sense of direction for proper transportation
  of Covid patients. The SOP’s reiterates that there exists only two types of ambulances for the delivery of Covid
  patients to the necessary medical facilities and for asymptomatic patients or anyone with a prognosis of
  complications arising due to the virus.
• The gravity of this threat, as exposed by the bench:
  The bench further impressed upon the need of rectifying the sharp increase in rates fixed by ambulance service
  providers and ensured the states to follow an equal and unilateral method of transaction, vis-à-vis the Covid
  patients.
  The Centre then took action against the ones who are out to earn a quick buck with little to no effort on their part
  by apprehending them and making them charge a standard rate for all, regardless of any differences.
• The distinction between ambulances for the exclusive need of Covid patients:
  Currently in the bid to establish peacekeeping efforts are two types of ambulances, namely:
  1)ALS(with ventilators) and 2)BLS(without ventilators ).
  Basically, any ambulance that possesses that mysterious X factor and works towards the betterment of the Covid
  patients can be utilized, said the Health Ministry.
• Conclusion:
  The unprecedented times of the pandemic may have crippled the moral compass of the ambulance providers but
  the Centre swoops in to ensure that everyone is given equal treatment and fair and fixed rates.
• Sources
  https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/supr eme-court-to-states-fix-reasonable-cost-forambulance-services-forcovid-19-patients1720857-2020-09-11
  https://www.dnaindia.com/india/reportambulance-services-for-covid-19-patientsmust-be-reasonably-priced-scdirectsstates-2842452
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