Jumla folks protest ambulance fare hike

Jumla, Feb 15: Local residents in Jumla district have voiced dissatisfaction over the arbitrary hike of ambulance fare.

The District Ambulance Committee has fixed ambulance fare from Jumla to Nepalgunj at Rs 25,000 which has drawn criticism from the local residents as they accuse that the Committee arbitrarily determined the fare. 

The meeting on the Committee convened on January 8 had set the ambulance fares operating within Jumla district in accordance with the Ambulance Operation Directives-2082 BS, said Kiran Kumar Sharma, Coordinator of the Committee and Chief District Officer of Jumla.

Acknowledging the complaints pouring in from the public regarding fixed fares, Coordinator Sharma said that the rates could be reviewed in the upcoming meeting if necessary. 

The Committee has fixed the ambulance fare within the Chandannath municipality at Rs 600. Likewise, within the district, the rate has been set at Rs 100 per km on unpaved road and Rs 90 km on paved roads for round trip, according to Sharma. 

Explaining that the fares were determined based on distance and location, he added that it would cost Rs 20,000 to operate ambulance from any location in Jumla to Surkhet district while the service-seekers have to pay Rs 25,000 to avail ambulance service from Jumla to Nepalgunj (Banke district). 

The Committee is at work to ensure uniformity in the fares given the operation of different categories of ambulances in various local levels of Jumla district including Karnali Academy of Health Sciences.

Local levels such as Sinja, Tila, and Hima rural municipalities, along with Chandannath Municipality, have already issued public notices stating they will implement the fares set by the District Ambulance Committee.

However, local residents in Jumla have voiced dissatisfaction over the revised ambulance fare, stating that the fare to Surkhet and Nepalgunj are excessively expensive. 

They complain that making such an importance service for patients so expansive is putting the lives of poor and underprivileged people at risk. 

Meanwhile, the Committee denied the claims of random and unfair fare increases, stating that the fares were set based on distance, fuel costs, maintenance expenses and driver's allowance. (RSS)