In addition to other authority specifically conferred on it or arising by necessary implication, the board of commissioners or board of trustees of any hospital owned separately or jointly by one or more of such counties, cities, towns, or supervisors districts of the same or other such counties as defined in Section 41-55-1 may, in its discretion and upon a finding that adequate ambulance service would not otherwise be available, own, operate, and maintain a public ambulance service as an integral part of its governmental function of operating and maintaining a hospital and, in so doing, shall possess and may exercise and enjoy the same authority, powers, rights, privileges and immunities with respect to the operation and maintenance of said service as it possesses and may exercise and enjoy with respect to the operation and maintenance of other departments of the hospital, including the right to fix and collect charges for such ambulance service, and to adopt, promulgate and enforce reasonable rules and regulations for the operation of said service.
In addition to the foregoing, the board of commissioners or board of trustees of any such public hospital may, in its discretion and upon a finding that adequate public ambulance service would not otherwise be available, either contract with the governing authority or authorities of one or more other such public hospitals, with the governing authority or authorities of one or more private nonprofit hospitals, or with the governing authorities of a combination of both types of hospitals as aforesaid, for the joint ownership, operation and maintenance of a public ambulance service. Moreover, the board of commissioners or board of trustees of any such public hospital, upon a further finding that it is necessary or expedient to do so, may, individually or jointly with the governing authority or authorities of either or both types of hospitals as aforesaid, organize and participate in the ownership of a nonprofit corporation organized under the laws of the State of Mississippi for the specific purpose of providing public ambulance service. Any such contract and any such charter of incorporation shall include specific provisions for retaining majority control in the public hospital or hospitals involved, to preserve and protect the funds and property of the public hospital or hospitals involved and to provide for termination of the arrangement upon reasonable notice by the public hospital or hospitals.