Raipur, Mar 31 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday flagged off 370 ambulances, including 70 Advanced Life Support (ALS) units, to strengthen emergency healthcare services across the state.
With this rollout, the ‘108 ambulance’ service has become fully operational across all districts with immediate effect, ensuring timely and quality medical assistance during emergencies, officials said.
Of the total, 300 are Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances.
For the first time, five neonatal ALS ambulances have also been introduced, marking a significant step in emergency care for newborns. These specialised vehicles are expected to play a crucial role in safely transporting critically ill infants to higher medical centres, they said.
Addressing the programme, Sai said the state’s healthcare system has witnessed significant strengthening over the past two years, with growing public trust in government hospitals.
“Due to the expansion and upgradation of sub-health centres, primary health centres and community health centres, people no longer need to travel long distances for basic treatment,” he said.
The chief minister said the government aims to ensure ambulance availability within 15 minutes in urban areas and 30 minutes in rural regions to provide timely medical assistance to every patient.
He said the expansion of the ‘108 ambulance’ network will further reinforce public confidence that the government stands ready to respond swiftly and sensitively during emergencies.
State’s Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal termed the initiative a “historic step” for the state’s healthcare sector and said it would benefit lakhs of people by ensuring rapid medical response.
He said Chhattisgarh has become the second state in the country to introduce neonatal ambulance services and added that strict monitoring mechanisms have been put in place to address any delays or deficiencies in ambulance operations.
Officials said the neonatal ambulances are equipped with advanced life-saving facilities, including incubators, ventilators, defibrillators, syringe pumps, nebulisers, suction machines, adequate oxygen support and 41 types of emergency medicines, effectively making them “mobile neonatal ICUs”.
The BLS and ALS ambulances are also fitted with modern medical equipment such as BP monitors, pulse oximeters, ECG monitors and glucometers, along with oxygen support and emergency treatment systems, they said.
Advanced units additionally feature portable ventilators, defibrillator monitors and other critical care devices to ensure the safe transportation of seriously ill patients, they said. PTI TKP NP
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