Shillong: Meghalaya’s plan to revamp ambulance services through a new operator has hit a snag, with the tendering process delayed until March 2024.
Previously, seven agencies had submitted bids to manage the ambulance fleet and associated call centres.
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However, concerns about irregularities in some bidder documents necessitated a fresh tender.
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“Complications were found in certain documents during the pre-bid and post-bid stages,” explained Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh.
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Seeking legal advice, the department ultimately decided to re-issue the tender.
This delay pushes back the initial target of securing a new provider by December 2023. The state now hopes to finalize the process within the next three months.
Meghalaya’s ambulance service, launched in 2009 under a public-private partnership, has been the subject of recent scrutiny.