VASCO: Ambulances are life saving vehicles for the ailing. However to the surprise of all, the ambulances at the Employees State Insurance (ESI) hospital at Margao are used to transport groceries and goods of the hospital.
The ambulance which was donated by late Shantaram Naik, former Rajya Sabha Congress MP to the ESI Hospital through the MPLAD funds at a cost of Rs 9 lakhs was seen waiting outside a shop filling goods.
Sources said the Hospital has two ambulances one of which is commonly used to transport people and goods.
On Tuesday, the ambulance was seen outside a shopping mart waiting to transport groceries. A brief chat with the driver revealed that he was the permanent driver of the ambulance and he has been using this ambulance only for transporting goods to ESI.
When contacted, ESI Medical Officer Administration Dr Shubhangi Lotlikar said, “Only one ambulance is being used to transport patients and the other one has got old and hence it is being used to transport goods”. “The Ambulance given by former MP Shantaram Naik is being used to transport goods,” she said.
“The capacity of the hospital has increased and hence there is a need for more vehicles at the hospital,” said Dr Lotlikar.
The ESI Hospital has been renovated and converted into a large 100-bedded hospital and after much delay begun functioning.
