Kohima, April 30 (MExN): Responding to onslaught of allegations over the purchase of new ambulances by the state government, the State DH&FW today clarified that the vehicles were brand new and not second hand.
In the clarification, the Principal Director, Health & Family Welfare (H&FW), Dr. Vizolie Suokhrie stated that as ambulances are no longer readily available in the market, the government bought the vehicles from Uttar Pradesh.
“The Government of Nagaland has been on the look out to procure Ambulances in view of the COVID-19 crisis and the 10 (ten) Ambulances were procured from Uttar Pradesh,” he said. “It is also made clear to the general public that the Ambulances are being transferred from the surplus fleet of 108 Emergency Medical Transport Services, UP (East),” he added.
Accordingly, the Ambulances, Suokhrie reiterated, were procured which are brand new and not as alleged in the social media.
The mileage of the Ambulances may also be checked by anyone to ascertain that these have not been used earlier, he maintained.
The Principal Director in the clarification further gave the break-up of the vehicles and said that the cost of one ambulance was Rs 18, 00, 000 for a total of Rs 1.80 crore.
The 10 (ten) Ambulances bearing Registration Numbers: UP32MN8012, UP32MN8013, UP32MN8014, UP32MN8016, UP32MN8020, UP32MN8022, UP32MN8023, UP32MN8025, UP32MN8026, UP32MN8028 were launched on April 28 by the Chief Minister. Talking to reporters on April 30 in Kohima, State Chief Secretary Temjen Toy also affirmed that the vehicles are new. When the controversy first broke out, a DH&FW official also told The Morung Express on April 29 that it was an ‘unconditional procurement’ of the State Government.
