Jharkhand News : The Jharkhand government has decided to take strict action against Samman Foundation, the agency operating the Dial 108 ambulance service in the state, over repeated negligence and poor emergency response. Health Minister Dr. Irfan Ansari announced that the company will be debarred due to its failure to provide timely ambulance services, causing serious inconvenience to patients.
The decision comes after a media report highlighted a shocking incident outside Ranchi Railway Station, where an elderly accident victim lay in pain for nearly 45 minutes as Dial 108 ambulances failed to arrive despite repeated calls. Eventually, the Chutia police helped shift the victim to Guru Nanak Hospital.
Expressing concern, the Health Minister said the state government is committed to providing quality healthcare services, but the current operator has failed to meet basic emergency standards. He revealed that Samman Foundation had secured the contract at very low rates during the previous government but is now unable to manage operations efficiently. The government is planning to replace the agency with a more capable service provider.
The ambulance staff themselves have also raised serious allegations against the company. According to the 108 Ambulance Employees’ Union, workers have not been paid salaries for months, are forced to work 18-hour shifts without overtime or weekly holidays, and face threats of termination for raising concerns. Union leaders have also accused the company of intimidation and filing false cases to suppress protests.
Earlier, the Health Department had issued strict instructions to improve response time and bring off-road ambulances back into service. However, despite warnings and the threat of a ₹20 lakh penalty, the situation did not improve. Out of 543 ambulances, 63 are still off-road.
Given the continued failures, the Jharkhand government has now decided to initiate formal proceedings to blacklist the company and ensure better emergency healthcare services for the public.
