Govt rejects demand for taking over emergency services in Meghalaya

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 27, 2022

The state government on Wednesday rejected the demand for the health department to take over the emergency services in the state.

The stand of the government was made clear by the health minister James K Sangma to a delegation of the Meghalaya EMRI Workers Union (MEMRIWU) during a meeting held at the secretariat.

“He (James Sangma) has expressed the government’s inability to take over the emergency services (as demanded by the union),” president of the union Microlina Syiemlieh told reporters after the meeting.

She said the health minister had informed the delegation that the government has decided not to renew the contract with the incumbent GVK EMRI for running the 108 ambulance services in the state.

“Therefore, the tender process is already on for a new company to operate the emergency services,” she said.

Syiemlieh said the union has insisted that the state government should take over the services to provide quality services to the people of the state since the present management had failed on all fronts.

“However, the meeting was not successful since the minister had made clear the stand of the government but he assured that the government will make sure that the employees will not face difficulties in the future,” she added.