CHENNAI: The Assembly witnessed high decibel drama on Tuesday after the ruling AIADMK and opposition DMK and Congress jumping into the fray to claim credit for introducing 108 ambulance services.
The debate began when former Minister Poongothai Aladi Aruna said most health schemes like Muthulakshmi Reddy Maternity Benefit Scheme and the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance scheme were introduced by DMK. This led to objections from Health Minister C Vijaya Basker, who was then countered by senior DMK leader Durai Murugan, adding that many schemes, including 108 ambulance service, were introduced by his party leader, former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.
Refuting this, Vijaya Basker said the service was introduced way back in 2005 as a comprehensive emergency medical service when J Jayalalithaa was the Chief Minister, and cited the Government Order as proof.Initially, the contact number of the service was four digits (1056), before the Centre decided to introduce a uniform three-digit number (108) across the country.
“So the then ruling party, like other States, changed it to 108 during 2006-2008,” Vijaya Basker said, reducing the rival’s role to merely making four digits to three. Unwilling to accept this, former health minister M R K Panneerselvam said it was during his tenure that a team from the health department visited Hyderabad to see the service up close.Congress MLA S Vijayadharani surprised everyone stating that the 108 ambulance service was actually introduced during Congress rule at the Centre.
Poongothai, a medical professional before taking to politics, charged that the response time was longer. Vijaya Basker said the government is to launch an app that would help reduce response time. Also, all ambulance drivers, called pilots, would be given smartphones at a total cost of `75 lakh. This, he added, would reduce response time.
New fleet
The older vehicles in the fleet would be replaced with 50 new ambulances at a cost of D5 crore, announced Health Minister Vijaya Basker
