Badnawar (Madhya Pradesh): Emergency medical services in Badnawar have been severely affected as the 108-ambulance service has remained non-functional for nearly a month, causing hardship to patients and accident victims.
Residents said ambulances stationed at Badnawar and Kanwan were lying out of service due to repeated mechanical failures. The ageing vehicles reportedly remain parked for days at repair garages in Ratlam and Dhar.
In emergencies, ambulances are being called from nearby towns, often resulting in delays due to distance and vehicle unavailability.
With the government ambulance service disrupted, private ambulance operators have become more active. Residents alleged that some operators were charging excessive fares from patients for transportation to hospitals in nearby cities.
The issue has raised concern as Badnawar and adjoining routes frequently witness road accidents and medical emergencies.
108 ambulance zonal manager Amit Shrivastava said both ambulances were under repair and were expected to resume service within “one or two days”.