HYDERABAD: As many as 50 bike ambulances were flagged off by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao here on Wednesday. The bikes, driven by Emergency Management Technicians (EMT), are equipped with portable oxygen tanks, emergency drugs, cervical collar, and other tools. The number to call is ‘108’ — which is used for ambulance vans too. However, the bike ambulances will be functional between 8 am to 8 pm.
It is expected that the bikes will reduce the time taken to reach a patient and transport him to h0spital as bikes can go faster in traffic and can go inside narrow lanes. Officials from 108 GVK EMRI ‘108’ said that it takes an average 18 min for ambulance vans to reach a patient in city and the time goes up to 34 min during rush hours.
102 Services launched
To pick up pregnant women from their home and drop them at hospitals or public health facilities for deliveries or antenatal checkups, ‘102 Services’ were launched by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. While 40 such jeeps are already in service, they are used in tribal areas. Now, a fleet of 200 more vehicles were added which will be used throughout the state.The vehicles will also drop mother, child and attendants back to homes. The Multi Utility Vehicles will be fitted with GPS and only non-emergency cases will be attended. One can dial ‘102’ to avail the service. They will be in service between 8 am and 8 pm.
Each district has been allotted six to eight vehicles. Besides this, two-wheelers under ‘Project Rekkalu’ were handed over to Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANM). Currently, if no means of transport is available to reach a village, ANMs walk up to 10 kilometers to deliver health services.Officials from the Telangana Health department said that Rs 10,000 will be allotted for each bike under National Health Mission (NHM), Rs 5000 to Rs 15000 under district funds, vehicle dealers and banks will give discount up to Rs 7000. The rest has to be paid by ANMs on installment basis.