The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday directed the provincial government, the Karachi commissioner and charitable organisations to file comments on a plea seeking regulations for private ambulance services.
Through its representative, the Legal Awareness Trust said in the petition that there is no proper mechanism to regulate private ambulance services, and ensure fair and reasonable charges, so in the absence of regulations, private operators impose arbitrary fees without oversight or accountability.
The counsel said an ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle specifically designed and used for safely transporting patients to healthcare or treatment facilities, ensuring timely medical care during emergencies.
He said the government should devise regulations for private ambulance operators, including monitoring ambulance availability, tracking services, displaying approved fare structure, and providing a complaint and feedback mechanism for the public to ensure proper checks and balances in the functioning of ambulance services.
He also said ambulance vehicles are treated as welfare, and exempted from various taxes and duties to facilitate public service and reduce operational costs, but despite receiving such exemptions, many operators continue to charge high fees, defeating the very purpose of such concessions.
The petitioner requested the court to direct the government to frame rules, regulations and standard tariff guidelines for private ambulance services, including permissible operational costs.
The petitioner also requested that the court direct private NGOs and charitable trusts to continue providing free ambulance services for deserving and indigent persons while taking them to the hospital.
An SHC division bench headed by Justice Adnanul Karim Memon directed the health department, private ambulance service providers, NGOs and others to file their comments on the petition on the next date of hearing.
