SINDH/
KARACHI:
A recent increase in petroleum product prices has led several welfare organisations in Karachi to raise the charges for ambulance and funeral transport services, as higher fuel costs begin to affect essential services.
Organisations providing local, intercity and interprovincial ambulance services have increased their charges by 10% to 30% to offset rising fuel expenses.
However, major charities Edhi Foundation and Chhipa Welfare Association have not raised their ambulance fares and are currently absorbing the additional costs themselves, which have increased their fuel budgets by around 25% to 30%.
Iqbal Hussain, an administrator of a private welfare ambulance service outside Jinnah Hospital in Karachi, said smaller rescue organisations were particularly affected after petrol and diesel prices rose by Rs55 per litre following tensions in the Middle East.
Read: Govt to absorb future fuel price hikes amid Middle East crisis: Ali Pervaiz Malik
As a result, local ambulance charges have increased by 10%, intercity services by 15%, and interprovincial services by 20%, he said.
Within Karachi, ambulance fares have risen by Rs150 to Rs300, while intercity ambulance charges have increased by Rs500 to Rs1,500. Interprovincial ambulance services have seen an increase of Rs2,000 to Rs4,000.
Hussain said intercity and interprovincial ambulance services usually calculate fares per kilometre, and the recent increases correspond with the rise in fuel prices. He added that charges could be reduced again if petroleum prices fall.
These services are commonly used to transport patients and deceased persons between cities and provinces, he said.
Tasleemuddin, who travelled from Sukkur to Karachi for medical treatment, said his mother, a heart patient, needs a check-up at a private hospital in Karachi every two months.
He said the ambulance fare for the journey had increased from Rs25,000 to Rs28,000, a rise of more than 20%, but the family had no choice but to pay the higher cost.
A resident of Keamari, Asif Shah, said he recently brought his father to a private hospital for kidney treatment. An ambulance from a small organisation outside the hospital charged Rs1,200, compared with Rs1,000 previously.
According to Chhipa spokesperson Chaudhry Shahid Hussain, more than 1,600 government and private ambulances operate in Karachi, with around 20% used for intercity and interprovincial services.
He said each ambulance consumes around 30 litres of petrol or diesel daily, increasing fuel costs by more than 10%, or roughly Rs1,500 per vehicle per day.
Hussain said that while Chhipa is currently absorbing the additional fuel expenses, smaller service providers may struggle to do so. If fuel prices continue to rise, larger organisations may also be forced to review their service charges.
Read more: Govt announces austerity steps, declares Friday additional weekly holiday
Officials at Edhi Foundation also confirmed that rising fuel prices have affected their ambulance service budget, although the organisation has not yet increased its charges.
Funeral services affected
The rise in fuel prices has also pushed up the cost of funeral transport services in Karachi.
Several private organisations providing funeral bus services have increased fares by 10% to 15%, according to service operators.
Dilawar Shakoor, in charge of a private funeral bus service in Nazimabad, said more than 20 large and small organisations provide funeral transport services in the city.
He said these services already operate on relatively low transportation charges, but the rise in petroleum prices following Middle East tensions has significantly affected their fuel budgets.
Daily fuel expenses for small and large funeral vehicles have increased by Rs2,000 to Rs4,000, prompting smaller organisations to raise fares.
As a result, charges for smaller funeral buses have increased by Rs700 to Rs1,000, while larger funeral buses have seen fare increases of Rs1,500 to Rs2,000. Larger welfare organisations have not yet raised their fares.
Also read: Iran launches fresh regional strikes as oil fears mount and global markets reel
Mustafa Baig, supervisor of a welfare organisation providing funeral bus services, said fares for short-distance services have increased from Rs5,000 to Rs5,500, while medium-distance fares have risen from Rs7,000 to Rs8,000.
For longer distances, funeral transport costs have increased from Rs10,000 to Rs12,000. However, fares for larger funeral buses — typically between Rs5,000 and Rs10,000 — have so far remained unchanged.
Asif Abbasi, a government employee from Lines Area, said he recently paid Rs11,500 for a funeral bus service after his brother passed away. He said the same service cost Rs10,000 when his mother died a few months earlier.
Human rights and social activist Saeed Baloch said the rise in petroleum prices is increasingly affecting the daily lives of ordinary people, noting that funeral and burial expenses have also risen by around 10% to 15%, adding further financial pressure on families.
