Minister in-charge Health and Family Welfare Ampareen Lyngdoh on Monday said the government will select the best of the best for running the 108 emergency services in the state.
Speaking to media persons, Lyngdoh said, “We are not going to be distracted by this competitive argument between companies as we are here to select the best of the best. Allegations, submissions, counter submissions will not solve the problem.”
“We are here to provide the best ambulance for the people of the state of Meghalaya. The 108 service has suffered several beatings in the past and I will not be party to any irrelevant matter that will distract us as a state government to provide the most competitive service,” she said.
The minister said, “My plea to the bidders, discipline yourselves. Wait for the selection procedure to be completed and please don’t go to the media again and again with your complaints because your actual complaint desk is the (tender) committee. Go to the committee. Any complaint that we have received thus far as per the briefing I got from the officers has been attended to. If X bidder is saying that Y bidder is like this and like that we have sent it to the correct authority for its evaluation and substantiation. I feel that this is good and that the system that has been generated is pro-people.”
Lyngdoh also asked the companies to refrain from creating unnecessary confusion over the process of selection. “And as you bid in such a competitive ambience and atmosphere don’t forget why you have come to the state of Meghalaya, you come here to give us service and not to create this confusion which very unnecessary and annoying and very distracting for a minister and I will not engage and I will not believe also that we will not select the best of the best.”
She said a minister under no circumstances is privy to information of a tender procedure as it is being supervised by a tender committee. With bidders becoming very competitive, the minister said all bidders feel that they are the most competent company to run the 108 emergency services. “But let me remind the bidders’ one thing that you are bidding in the state of Meghalaya not to serve a luxurious service. You are here to be committed to ensure that the people of the state of Meghalaya get the best ambulance service and lifesaving opportunities as possible.”
She said that the government wants to make sure the people of the state of Meghalaya including the employees who have been engaged this far get the best deal adding “all of the bidders will be evaluated on a fair playing field”.
“I will not indulge, I don’t even know their names, and it does not really matter to me. What is going to matter is that when there is a crisis you are there to solve the crisis; you are there with the expertise from the outside to provide the necessary service that we need. There is nothing more. I would like to add and I reiterate the chief minister and the council of ministers, we want one thing that our people get the best ambulance services,” she added.