By: Jeevan Kumar Durgam
The state government is planning to transform the 108 ambulance services in the state. Aiming to give a boost to the existing services, the government recently placed an order to buy new 290 vehicles which will be used for ambulance services. Out of total 290 new vehicles, 80 will be used for emergency services and rest 210 vehicles will be allotted for normal ambulance services.
The medical equipment in the current vehicles will also be replaced with the new and advanced ones, Dr G Srinivasa Rao, special officer for 108 services, Telangana, said.
The officials are expecting the new vehicles to arrive within three months. Soon the tenders for medical equipment will also be issued.
Around 337 ambulances are already functioning in the state. However, the government is planning to remove 121 vehicles from the services once the new vehicles arrive.
Srinivasa Rao said many of the old vehicles are still in good condition, but some of the vehicles which are unfit will be replaced with the new ones.
With the added 290 new vehicles, the number of ambulances would go up to 306 after removing 121 old ones. The officials said all the ambulances will soon be equipped with GPS trackers to enable online monitoring. Currently the officials are depending on telephone communication by the drivers to assess the performance of vehicles.
According to the proposal by the health department, three emergency ambulance vehicles will be allotted for every 5 lakh population and one normal ambulance for every 75,000 people in the state. The government is also planning to increase the monthly maintenance cost of vehicles from the existing Rs 1.2 lakh per each vehicle to Rs 1.3 lakh. According to the MoU between the state government and the GVK (the organising company), the maintenance cost will be increased by eight percent every year.
The new vehicles will be allotted to cover every mandal in the state, said Srinivasa Rao. The EMRI is currently carrying out a survey to find out locations which are not covered by the existing services. The report will be submitted in a week, he added. The officials requested the state government for Rs 68 crore from the upcoming budget for new proposals.
Proposals
- TS govt plans to buy 290 new vehicles for 108 ambulance services
- Currently there are 337 vehicles, of which 121 to be removed
- New vehicles and medical equipment are expected in three months
- Out of the 290 new vehicles, 80 to have advanced facilities to treat emergency cases
- 210 vehicles to be used for normal ambulance services
- Monthly maintenance cost of each ambulance to be increased from ` 1.2 lakh to 1.3 lakh.
- Every mandal to covered with the new vehicles
- All ambulances to be equipped with GPS trackers to enable online monitoring.
Source: The New Indian Express