New company likely to take over 108 emergency services within 2 weeks: Health Minister

Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Wednesday said that the new company will take over the 108 emergency services within two weeks’ time. 

Speaking to reporters, Lyngdoh informed that the department is happy this time that 7 companies have participated in the bidding process and this has happened for the first time. 

“I hope this will yield a good result in the interest of the service for the peole of the state,” she said.

Asked, Lyngdoh said, “We are expecting it to complete or close by the end of today but the new company will likely take approximately a fortnight to actually roll out its services in full capacity.”

On her meeting with the 108 workers yesterday, the minister said that it was just a continuation of the commitment as a government to ensure that workers of the 108 feel convinced and confident that the government is trying its level best to ensure that rights of 108 workers are protected. 

“I had promise them in the previous meeting that once the bid was getting progressed I would brief them on what is the plan of action we have in mind to protect the interest of the 108 workers,” she added.

Lyngdoh informed that every company has been asked as part of the technical bid to present a full fledged plan for workers of 108. 

“Things like insurance coverage, ex-gratia, health coverage, accident insurances – all of these insurances have now been promised all of the bidders who have come for this 108 bid. The bid has also mandated that we ensure a regular increment for the 108 workers, which was something which was not really taking off so that was also being discussed and 7% annual increment has also been promised by all of the bidders in the technical round of the bidding,” she said.

She said that the meeting was just an interaction with the workers to assure them that “we are concern about the future of their jobs and we have told them that few procedures have to be followed.”

The minister however said that a testing of skills of workers will obviously be there and they will be offered employment which are negotiable depending on their experience and depending on their understanding of the assignment that they are going to be engaged in.

According to her, the government want to ensure that the 108 life saving service matches the promises made.