From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Feb 19: Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr K Sudhakar, who is also handling Medical Edcuation, on Saturday announced that the State Government has granted administrative approval for upgrading the Arogya Kavacha 108 Ambulance Service.
The minister, who participated in the Deputy Commissioner’s Walk towards Villages programme at Kalkunte Agrahara of Bengaluru Rural District’s Hoskote taluk, said the State Government given the administrative approval for upgrading and revamping the Arogya Kavacha 108 Ambulance Service as part of its ambitious plans to provide world class service to the people to meet their emergency health requirements.
The upgrading and revamp of the Arogya Kavacha 108 Ambulance Service would utilise the modern technological advances to protect lives of people during the critical golden hour.
The Health Minister said the State Government was very keen on ushering a Healthy Karnataka and after consulting experts and medical professionals has finalised the plan for modernisation and upgrading the ambulance service.
Dr Sudhakar said the State Government is determined to implement the National Health Mission Guidelines, which stipulate that one Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance for 1 lakh population and one Advanced Life Support (ALS) for 5 lakh population. If an ambulance has handled four or more cases in 24 hours and has covered a distance of 120 kms, that area requires an additional ambulance.
As part of the plans to fully implement theNational Health Mission Guidelines, the State Government has decided to increase the ambulances to 750 from the present 710 and of these 40% will be ALS and 60% will be BLS. The government will be buying 380 new ambulances, of which 340 will be for replacing the older ones and 40 will be fully equipped new ones, the minister said.
Pointing out that call centres or command centres play an important role in the ambulance service, Dr Sudhakar said the existing call centres will be upgraded to serve as a vital link between the public and the personnel manning the ambulances. The call centres seats will be increased to 75 from the present 54.
The command centre or call centre will be equipped with GPS tracking facility for the ambulances with facilities for biometric attendance of the staff, live streaming of ambulance services, online human resources management, electronic maintenance of all treatment records as well as receiving and disposal of complaints, the minister explained.
Dr Sudhakar said the State Government will come out with detailed tender norms for managing the ambulance service and ensure quality service to the people.