Team Herald
MOLLEM: The residents of Mollem Village are facing a critical situation as their only ambulance, donated by a former Member of Parliament in 2013, is no longer operational. The vehicle has deteriorated beyond repair, leaving the remote village without essential emergency medical services.
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Local officials from the Mollem Village Panchayat have stated that despite multiple written requests to the South Goa Collectorate to transfer the vehicle’s registration certificate (RC) from the Collector’s name to the Panchayat, they have received no response. Their final request was made in 2017, but to no avail.
This lack of action has prevented the Panchayat from conducting necessary repairs, compounded by their limited financial resources.
The nearest hospital in Usgao is 18 km away from Mollem bazaar, and from the Goa border, the hospital is 36 km away. This distance poses a
serious risk during medical emergencies, such as accidents, where time is of the essence.
“Mollem is on the highway and there are many accidents taking place. We have no means to transport patients quickly in case of an emergency,” a villager explained. “If we call for an ambulance from Usgao, it has to cover 36 km to get here, wasting precious time that could save lives.”
The villager said the ambulance was working until 2015.
Gautam Bhandari, a local resident, noted that the ambulance had been scrapped due to neglect. “It was given by South Goa MP, but panchayat did not maintain it, and it is not the fault of the panchayat either. Sarpanch Vaman Gaonkar has shown us the correspondence
proving that the South Goa Collectorate has failed to respond regarding the ambulance’s ownership,” he said.
Sarpanch Vaman Gaonkar confirmed that while there is an ambulance at the Primary Health Centre in Usgao and another at the Kulem Police Station, the delays in obtaining help are critical, especially with the frequent accidents on the highway near Mollem. “In emergencies, we rely on ambulances from Usgao or Kulem, which is far from ideal,” he stated. Gaonkar admitted that they have never utilised the donated ambulance because they did not have the funds to pay for a driver’s salary. However, it was noted that the Panchayat had funds available to purchase three air-conditioners for their office.
Although the Panchayat has never made an official request for a new ambulance, they have indicated that a proposal is in
the works. Gaonkar reiterated that they were unable to repair the ambulance because the ownership was not transferred to the panchayat.
When approached about the rotting ambulance, Deputy Sarpanch Jani Damekar seemed unaware of the situation. “Which ambulance?” she asked. “We will have to search for the details. We have ambulances available at Kulem and Usgao,” she said.
Officials at the District Collectorate acknowledged that there are specific protocols regarding projects funded by the MPLAD (Member of Parliament Local Area Development) scheme. They suggested that if this case is outdated, the affected Panchayat or locals can raise the issue again for review. The current South Goa MP holds weekly meetings at the Collectorate, where this matter could also be addressed.
