Developed By: iNFOTYKE
SHILLONG: Meghalaya Government has made it clear that the State Government cannot take over the 108 ambulance service as demanded by the agitating employees.
Talking to media persons here on Thursday, Health and Family Welfare Minister, AL Hek said that the taking over of the 108 ambulance service by the Government was not possible.
“ We are outsourcing even our PHCs, CHCs and sub centres to NGOs because we don’t have the manpower to run the services and so how can we take over the ambulance service,” Hek said.
Reiterating that the Government is directly not concern with the employees of the service, he however added that the Government on its own had called for a meeting with the agitating employees recety
“ If both parties cannot come to an understanding, what else can we do,” He said.
Informing that the Government has already issued the pre-termination notice to the GVK EMRI, he added that the Government would have to take a call if the services are not resumed within 60 days.
The agitating staff are at loggerheads with the management over the non-fulfillment of the 36-point charter of demands which include salary increment, increasing the number of ambulances and others.
They had also asked the state government to cancel the contract with the GVK EMRI and consider taking over the emergency services.
In the ongoing standoff between the Administration and the staff, it is the common man who have suffered the most as there are no 108 ambulances to operate in the state as of now.