Dera Bassi civil hospital fails to make most of ‘ambulance gift'

Hindustan Times

28-06-2025

For the Dera Bassi civil hospital, an ambulance donation by Lions Club, Mohali, last November, had come as a lifesaver. Until then, the hospital, which is the main healthcare facility in the sub-division, had only one ambulance. But eight months on, the Maruti Omni ambulance has been returned unused. Reason: The health department failed to get the ambulance transferred in its name, thus rendering it ineligible for official use. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and governor Gulab Chand Kataria during the official handing over of the ambulance to Dera Bassi civil hospital authorities last November. (HT File)
This, even as it was handed over to the hospital with much fanfare in the presence of Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and governor Gulab Chand Kataria during a Jain Samagam event held in Mubarikpur.
Civil hospital senior medical officer (SMO) Dr Dharminder Singh, said, 'It was the donor's responsibility to get the ambulance transferred in the health department's name. Since they failed to do so, the vehicle was of no use to us without proper documentation. We had no option but to return it.'
Lions Club president Nitin Jindal, meanwhile, expressed strong disappointment over the development. 'Returning the ambulance is not a solution. We donated it in good faith for the benefit of patients in need. At no point did we receive a written communication from the department regarding the transfer. Just a few days ago, I received a call from the department, and I clearly told them that we were ready to pay the transfer fee, but they never followed up or took any initiative. The government is better equipped to handle such formalities,' he said.