The United Sangtam Students’ Conference (USSC) has expressed strong dissatisfaction over the introduction of two-wheeler ambulance at District Hospital Kiphire, which was flagged off by the Union Finance Minister during her visit to the Kiphire Aspirational District on 13 and 14 November.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Medical Officer of Kiphire, the USSC said it was “gravely displeased” with the sudden introduction of the two-wheeler ambulance. The USSC stated that the ambulance, now widely circulated on media platforms, was perceived as “an insulting and humiliating gesture to the citizens of Kiphire.”
The USSC said that as one of the “most remote, backward and neglected districts” in Nagaland, Kiphire urgently requires fully functioning four-wheeler ambulances equipped for critical medical emergencies. It described the two-wheeler ambulance as “symbolic, unproductive, impractical and grossly inadequate for real time emergency medical response.” The USSC added that the people of Kiphire “do not deserve such an inhuman treatment.”
The USSC, as a primary guardian of the students and citizens’ welfare, has demanded an immediate clarification from the authorities on three key points.
First, it asked who proposed and approved the procurement of the two-wheeler ambulance. Second, it sought clarification on the Union Finance Minister’s statement in Kohima that the vehicle was introduced based on local demand. The USSC questioned “which local stakeholders were consulted and on what basis was such demand claimed?”
Third, the USSC demanded immediate accountability and replacement of the bike ambulance with at least two light four-wheeler ambulances suitable for emergency transport in Kiphire’s hilly terrain.
The USSC cautioned that failure to address its concerns within a stipulated timeframe would compel the organization to initiate “democratic, legal and mass mobilization measures,” adding that responsible authorities would be held fully accountable.