Provision of hearse van, ambulance demanded

Puducherry, Apr 18 (UNI) Members from Karaikal, cutting across party lines today, grilled Health Minister E Valsaraj in the territorial Assembly, during question hour, over the issue of provision of hearse van and ambulance to the patients from Karaikal, coming to the Puducherry Government General Hospital for treatment.

Answering a question, Mr Valsaraj said the government vehicles and ambulances were exempted from obtaining permits to enter into the territory of another state and this was clearly stated in Motor Vehicles Act rule 66 C(3).

PMC Member V K Ganapathy, who posed the question, pointed out that when he sought the service of an ambulance to take a critical patient hailing from Karaikal back to her house, the Resident Medical Officer (RMO) had informed him that the ambulance could not be provided as it had no permit to ply in Tamil Nadu.

Mr Valsaraj said the RMO may not be aware of the rules which provoked Mr Ganapathy to state that a minister should not answer in this manner. All the members from Karaikal joined the issue and raised their queries on the subject.

The minister said he would enquire with the RMO and the member would get a reply on the issue.

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