Shillong, Nov 22: Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Tuesday said the government is not in a hurry to take a decision with regards to handing over the emergency services to a new company.

At least 7 companies have participated in the bidding process for taking over the 108 emergency services in the State.

Speaking to reporters, Lyngdoh said, “We are looking at it at the moment and I reiterate again and again these are all professional bidding procedures and in a professional bidding procedure, which is standard, you need to conform to those standards within the bids. And we are not in any hurry to take a decision on this kind of intervention.”

Stating that an ambulance saves life, the minister said, “If we have to save a life, we have to ensure that our engagement with bidders as per within the parameters of the bidding are adhered to, there should be no gaps, no errors, no scope for anyone to accuse us for not having done the best thing possible.”

Seeking more time to finalise the process, Lyngdoh said, “Our NHM director is also away on official duty, he is engaged in election duty. There is no harm, we can wait a little bit more. I am in touch with the workers of the 108 explaining to them that if this decision has to be taken, let it be one which will be as flawless as possible.”

“I do not want to be pressured by anyone because when you are under pressure, your thinking also is not very clear and organized and I am determined to try and do the best. I will be the happiest person to see that in my ambulance, all the facilities that were promised at the time of the bid materialized on the ground,” she said while adding “I will be so happy to be able to be in a position where an ambulance located at x location is in connection with a facility in whichever location so that at least the time spent between traveling from point of occurrence of requirement of health services to the point of reaching a service provider be it PHC/CHC or hospital or any location, patient lives is saved. Every moment is attended to. I really hope that this will be one of its kind.”

Further, the minister said that she is distancing herself from the procedure of bidding.

“I am not a member of any committee. I am simply a government which has reviewed a bit and which has seen that it is fit technically and it is fit financially and it is going to be the best offer the state can get,” she added.

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