Daily Times

Owing to an apparent lack of interest, the relevant authorities have failed to ensure the registration of ambulances and other rescue vehicles with the Punjab Emergency Service ie Rescue 1122 as a legal requirement.

Excise and Taxation, Health Department and Traffic Police were instructed by the District Coordination Officer through letter #5933/AC dated December 21, 2016 to ensure registration of the existing emergency ambulances or rescue vehicles owned by any of the government organization, department or authority with Rescue 1122.

As per instructions, 30 days’ awareness campaign was carried out in Rawalpindi, banners were displayed outside major hospitals to motivate ambulance drivers and owners to register their vehicles with Rescue 1122. However, due to a lack of interest of the authorities with passage of about two years, only 26 ambulances have been registered.

The registration of the ambulances is free of cost; the owner of the ambulance vehicles had to submit only an affidavit, filled registration form containing the details of their vehicles, photo copy of the owner’s computerized national identity card and registration book photo copy. For registration, the ambulances should have oxygen supply system, an emergency kit bag, a stretcher and a ventilator.

Published in Daily Times, August 29^th 2018.