The Chhattisgarh High Court has recently registered a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) based on a report in a Hindi newspaper on February 3, highlighting the alarming condition of Sanjeevani 108 ambulances operating in the state, particularly in Bilaspur district.
According to the report, these ambulances, which are meant to provide emergency medical services, are running in a dilapidated condition, with many of them having exceeded the prescribed limit of 3 lakh kilometres.
The report also stated that the first-aid boxes are missing in many vehicles, and the seats are torn, making them almost useless.
Furthermore, the milometers of many ambulances are not working, and the vehicles have not been inspected by the Health Department for years.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal took cognizance of the news report and directed the Secretary, Health and Social Welfare Department, Government of Chhattisgarh, to file a personal affidavit regarding the matter.
The Secretary has been asked to inform the court about the number of 108 ambulances available in each district, the facilities available in those vehicles, and whether they fulfil the minimum requirements prescribed by the state.
The court has also sought information about the further requirements of vehicles and staff deployed in those vehicles, including the availability of drivers.
The matter has been listed for hearing on February 14, 2025.