ISLAMABAD, July 30: Two ambulances presented by the Japanese government as gifts for the children of Pakistan were being used by the VVIPs.

One of the Toyota Cressida ambulances is part of the Chief Executive Secretariat’s protocol fleet, while the other is being used by Asif Ali Zardari, the jailed PPP leader.

The ambulances were presented by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) after the commissioning of Children Hospital in 1986 but were never used by the administration of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), because their maintenance cost was very high and the cash-strapped management could not afford to operate them.

A senior Pims official, talking to Dawn, conceded that the two ambulances were being used by the chief executive secretariat and Mr Zardari, adding the phenomenon was not unusual or strange.

He said before the military government, Pims was responsible to provide medical cover to the VVIPs, including the president and the prime minister.

So one of these vehicles along with a senior doctor was part of the VVIP entourage. Currently, the vehicle is being used for foreign dignitaries during their visit to Pakistan, he said.

About Mr Zardari, he said perhaps the vehicle had been provided to him under court orders, though the directives did not speak about this vehicle. The fuel and maintenance cost of the ambulance was the responsibility of Mr Zardari.

A source said earlier Mr Zardari used to travel from sub-jail located inside the Pims to the Rawalpindi or Attock accountability courts in a Cardiac Van (Toyota Hiace).

The vehicle was not very comfortable, therefore he was provided Cressida, which was much more snug and in an immaculate condition.

The hospital source said a proposal was made to hand over these ambulances to the Establishment Division and get four diesel engine ambulances (Toyota Hiace) in lieu. The suggestion could not materialize and subsequently forgotten.

“Pims does not have ambulance for the patients, but for the VIPs, it can dole out every facility available,” complained a patient.

About 18 to 20 ambulances parked in the hospital premises were rusting and needed to be repaired. On the other hand senior members of the administration were using Land Cruisers and Pajeros for their personal needs, the source said.

“Even the doctors performing duties at the main emergency had to walk to the mother and child hospital (MCH) in emergency cases, wasting 20 to 25 minutes, because they were not allowed to use ambulances by the administration,” deplored a doctor.