Medical kits need replacement

Kurnool: The 108 emergency ambulance services are far behind the objective of attending to emergency cases to save the lives of people across the district after its launch. However, for the past few years, 108 services have been saddled with an ageing fleet of ambulances and lack of infrastructure. The public perception is that quality of the ambulances was steadily on the decline.

There are 32 ambulances rendering services across the district and most of them were procured between 2005 and 2008. They have covered lakhs of kilometres and have also reached their mandatory cut-off retirement age of five years. Out of the 32 ambulances, four are well equipped with advanced life support equipment and these ambulances are extending services in Kurnool, Adoni, Nandyal and Dhone.

Inside the ambulances, emergency medical equipment too needs replacement. The 108 ambulance service technicians point out that vital medical equipment to save victims of trauma, snake bites, medical pregnancies, etc, need replacements.

“There are instances when BP monitors have shown reading for even dead bodies. Almost all ambulances do not have vital medical equipment like pulse oximeter, blood pressure monitors and other equipment to provide immediate relief to snake bite victims. “Sometimes, even our stretchers do not work well,” reveals a 108 technician.

The ambulances that have given good services at the nook and corner of the district for the past 12 years are now unable to come to the rescue of people during emergencies. R Suguna of Stantanpuram village, who had earlier availed the service of 108 said the service of the ambulance is just one call away and in short time they used to reach the spot.

Now, the situation has changed, despite two or three calls, it is hard to avail its services, don’t know what the reason is, she lamented. The Emergency Management Executive (EME) G Sanjeeva Reddy speaking to The Hans India on Wednesday said that 32 emergency ambulances were extending services in Kurnool district.

Two ambulances, one at Chagalamarri and the other at Kowthalam, were still to come on to the road as they need pump replacement and the fitness certificate, he added. Apart from these two, all the ambulances are in fit condition providing services to the people. Earlier, fuel problem was there but now, the problem was sorted out, he added.

Speaking about the staff of the 108 ambulance services, he said that four to five vacancies have to be filled up, but they were managing without facing any problems. He said, earlier, the GVK was managing the 108 ambulances and its tender has expired on September 30, 2016.

By V Narendra Kumar