By Our Staff Reporter
DEHRADUN, 29 Jan: The 108 emergency service, considered the most crucial link in the state’s healthcare system, will be made more efficient and responsive. A backup system for ambulances will be established in every district, and the fleet of 108 ambulances will be expanded. Additionally, separate response teams for mountainous and plain areas will be set, and accurate location details of the ambulance will be provided to the persons in need during an emergency. Strict penalties will be imposed on the 108 ambulance vehicles that fail to meet the designated response time. Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat held a meeting on Wednesday with the Health and Family Welfare Department at his official residence. During the meeting, he instructed departmental officials to strengthen the 108 emergency service to make it more accessible to the general public. He also directed that the response time for ambulances be minimized, and their accountability be ensured.
He stated that in hilly areas, the ambulance response time will be set at 18 to 20 minutes, while in plain areas it will be 15 minutes. Additionally, the exact location of the ambulance will be shared with the person in need so they can track its arrival. Rawat emphasized that if an ambulance fails to meet the designated response time, a penalty of three times the amount will be imposed on the service provider. Furthermore, any misbehavior by ambulance drivers or medical staff with patients will attract stringent action.
The Minister also mentioned that patients would be transported to the hospital by the same ambulance without changing vehicles on the way. He instructed the officials to ensure that each district has a backup ambulance to cater to emergencies. Currently, there are 272 ambulances operating across the state under the 108 emergency service, but this number will be increased to 334 to ensure adequate coverage in areas where there is a shortage of ambulances.
Rawat directed the department officials to implement effective improvements in the 108 emergency service and restore its credibility among the public.
Present at the meeting were Principal Secretary (Health) Sunita Tamta, Director (Health) Manoj Upreti, Joint Director Tuhin Kumar, and other departmental officials.
