State govt to launch bike ambulances in tribal areas

Ongole: The Government of Andhra Pradesh has taken a decision to introduce bike ambulances in tribal areas in the state. In the recent meeting with the officials, the health minister Dr Kamineni Srinivas announced the decision of the government to the medical and health officers.

Highlights:

• The government took the decision to provide better emergency health services to the people living in tribal areas
• The driver cum paramedic offers first aid and then carries the victim to the nearby location where the ambulance with life support can pick him.
• Transport, roads and buildings minister K. Atchennaidu has announced to sanction funds for construction of roads that connect all tribal habitations with mandal headquarters and mandal headquarters to district headquarters
• The government has announced to pay Rs 2 lakh per month to gynaecologists, anesthetics and pediatricians and Rs 1 lakh per month to doctors who are willing to work in PHCs in the tribal areas

It is sometimes really tough and difficult for the ambulances to reach the victims in the emergency. The roads, traffic and time plays crucial role in saving the lives of victims. So here comes the idea of bike ambulance to reach the victim in emergency, tearing through the traffic or scaling ups and downs of the terrain. The driver cum paramedic offers first aid and then carries the victim to the nearby location where the ambulance with life support can pick him.

Though bike ambulances are not new in the world, the Karnataka government launched the first motorbike ambulance service in the country. The service is aimed at providing medical help to the victims before the ambulance reach the spot. Inspired by the service, an NGO in Chhattisgarh remodelled the ambulance and added a bed to the bike.

The same service is also introduced in Gujarat with GPS tracking in the vehicle so that the medical team in the ambulance can know where to pick up the patient. Learning about the mortality rate in the tribal areas in the state, the government wanted to introduce the bike ambulance service for them. Though the type of vehicle is not finalised, the officials are expecting it could be the model of Gujarat, a bike with the bed to carry the victim.

District medical and health officer of Prakasam district, J Yasmin said, “In most of the tribal areas, 108 ambulances are unable to reach the habitations like interiors of the forest. Though they have a road connecting the majority of habitations, only bikes and jeeps are able to enter the area. Health minister Kamineni Srinivas announced in the meeting that the government is going to introduce the bike ambulance service in the tribal areas, where the driver cum paramedic brings the person to the nearest place, where the 108 ambulance can reach and provide emergency care.”

Learning about the road connectivity issues in the tribal area and its affect on the mortality rate, the transport, roads and buildings minister K Atchennaidu, who also participated in the meeting, announced that he will sanction funds to construct roads to connect all tribal habitations to the mandal head quarters and all mandal head quarters to the district head quarters, while interacting with The Hans India.

To increase the medical and health services in the tribal areas, the government is also ready to pay Rs. 200000 per month as remuneration to the gynecologists, anesthetics and pediatricians willing to work in the tribal area. It is also ready to offer Rs. 100000 per month as salary to the doctors coming forward to work in the PHCs in the tribal area.

By Naresh Nandam