Well-equipped ambulance to reach out to accident victims

 Visakhapatnam: The role of a well-equipped ambulance in catering to emergency care is critical in not just meeting the pre-hospital needs of accident victims but also saving lives in the nick of time.

As every second counts when it comes to rendering emergency care and providing quick response during the golden hour, an advanced ambulance aids in minimising fatalities to a substantial extent.

With an aim to cut down 25 per cent of accident-related death rate and ensure rapid response during critical care, Visakhapatnam city police launched a cutting-edge ambulance service.

Introduced in collaboration with Apollo Hospitals, the ambulance service is made available for the public free of cost and it can be accessed by dialling a toll-free number 1066.

Briefing about the advantages of the new service, city commissioner of police Shankhabrata Bagchi, says, “The need of the hour is to help reach an accident victim to the nearest hospital within the golden hour, lending support and saving life. By making such advanced ambulance service accessible, the possibility of saving lives is quite high.”

After rendering first aid and CPR, the ambulance service aids in shifting the victim to the nearest trauma care centre within the golden hour. In addition, a policeman will be made available 24/7 at the ambulance.

With amenities such as advanced medical gear, including life-supporting oxygen cylinder, defibrillator with a heart monitoring system, suction apparatus, ECG machine, respiratory equipment, IV fluids, the ambulance is staffed with trained medical professionals, ensuring prompt and effective emergency care on the move. Based on the medical condition of the victim, an emergency doctor will accompany the patient as well.

According to recent statistics, approximately 300 lives are lost annually due to road accidents in Visakhapatnam city. Delayed ambulance arrival, lack of coordination between hospitals and police for emergency management along with absence of awareness about the availability of emergency service are some of the challenges faced while providing critical care for road accident victims.

Following an alarming rise in road accident fatalities due to delayed medical intervention, the newly-launched ambulance service aims to offer immediate medical assistance to accident victims so that life is not lost due to delayed arrivals to the hospitals. Operating across key areas under various police jurisdictions, including Bheemunipatnam, Anandapuram, PM Palem, Arilova, MVP Colony, the service covers 18 critical zones. Sharing features of the critical care service, COO of Apollo Hospitals Ram Chandra, says, “This unique ambulance service bridges the gap between accident victims and life-saving critical care. The 24/7 operational service is designed to offer timely intervention to the victims so that fatalities can be averted.” Currently, two advanced ambulance services have been launched. Going forward, the City Commissioner of Police informs that the city police will add more such well-equipped ambulances to the fleet with the support of industries lending help through their corporate social responsibility initiatives.