The state government has decided to strengthen the health services in the state in order to save the life of the concerned by providing medical help in the first one hour i.e. the golden hour during any crisis. Accordingly, 1,786 ambulances equipped with modern medical equipment and facilities will be purchased. This includes boat ambulances for the first time for the Konkan coast along with modern life-saving ambulances.
In the year 2014, the state government started a free ambulance scheme in the state to ensure that the person who has an accident, mishap or seriously ill person gets immediate first aid and can be admitted to the nearest hospital for further treatment. Free ambulance facilities can be availed from any part of the state by just calling 108. In the last 10 years, as many as 88 lakh eight thousand patients in the state have received life support through 937 ambulances operating in the state under this scheme. In this, 15.31 lakh women who were pregnant or facing difficulties during childbirth got help. 39,000 children were born in these ambulances. Five lakh patients in various accidents, 54,000 patients of heart diseases have received timely treatment due to this patient care and INR 2633 crores have been spent on this scheme in 10 years.
Considering the growing population and the network of highways in the state, the state government has decided to strengthen the health system while expanding the scope of this scheme. For this, 1,786 ambulances equipped with modern medical equipment and facilities will be procured at a cost of INR 759 crore. It includes 255 lifeguards, one in each district along with Pediatricians and 36 glass cased Neonatal Ambulances, 25 boat ambulances for sea coast areas, 196 motorbike ambulances for remote tribal areas.
The boat ambulance, which is currently running on pilot basis in Nandurbar district, will now be extended to Konkan. Ambulances take three to four hours to cover the distance from Alibaug to Mumbai by road. However, the distance from Alibaug to Mumbai can be reached by boat ambulance in just 30 minutes. Also, this facility will be useful in the accidents of fishermen in the sea.
196 two-wheeler ambulances in remote areas
30 two-wheeler ambulances are currently running on pilot basis in Amravati, Gadchiroli, Palghar, Mumbai, Solapur districts and these ambulances have treated one lakh 60 thousand patients. Now while expanding it across the state, 196 two-wheeler ambulances will be started mainly in remote areas of tribal districts like Amravati, Chandrapur, Dhule, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar etc. In the next 10 years, about INR 7.5 crore will be spent on this scheme, but it will benefit lakhs of needy people and the state cabinet has recently approved the proposal, said a senior official.
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