This was a reply to an RTI query by an NGO
BMC says the RTI figures are wrong and there are actually 69 ambulances for the city. File pic
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which has a budget of crores for the city’s infrastructure, has just 33 ambulances for the entire city. This startling fact has been revealed through an RTI (mid-day is in possession of the RTI response).
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The president of the NGO Prevent Cancer Trust Imran Shaikh who has been raising his voice on issues of public interest had asked for this information through RTI. He was shocked at the reply that BMC has only 33 ambulances for the city with a population of more than two crore.
Speaking to mid-day, Shaikh said, “I have seen that poor patients rarely get ambulances on time. As they do not have money for treatment they cannot offer private ambulances. This is the reason why many patients die due to a lack of facilities.”
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He added, “I had written to the BMC commissioner, the Mayor, the Standing Committee, and the chief minister demanding that the 227 corporators from 24 wards should be given an ambulance each by the corporation so that the public’s needs can be met
in emergencies.”
Shaikh said, “We are well aware that even for picking up garbage, BMC has been spending crores on vehicles. The water department and veterinary (dogs and other animals) hospitals, too, have more vehicles. BMC also provides luxurious vehicles for their top executive officers so why not provide ambulances?”
Executive engineer in charge of transport told mid-day that the number of ambulances mentioned in the RTI was not true as per his knowledge and that they had more than 69 ambulances. “We also have many private ambulances working for us and some donated by NGOs,” he said.
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