Ambulance Service launched under Atal Swasthya Seva has saved 1,404 precious lives of people since the time it had been started in HP. This was revealed by Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, while addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony of Atal Swasthya Seva Yojna Control Room at Dharampur, district Solan, estimated to cost Rs 2.75 crore, today. The Chief Minister said toll free number for the ambulance service 108 had served over 50 lakh people during its operational time who had called for the service. He said out of the total calls received 1,50,297 were emergency calls which were accorded top priority and patients rushed to the nearest health institutions for further medical examination. He said since the launch of the service 30,509 urgent calls, rates as save our souls (SOS), were attended and dealt with on top priority. He said other calls included 9,400 trauma cases, 7,900 cardiac cases. He said police assistance was also provided to 7,809 people who had called on the toll free number of 108 in addition to the fire alarm calls number at 1,891. He said the service had been of immense value to the critically ill patients and had been successful in saving precious lives of 1,404 people during the operation period. Prof Dhumal said the Matri Seva Yojna launched in the State had succeeded in transporting pregnant women to the nearest health institution for safe institutional delivery. He said trained staff had been deployed in every ambulance to deliver emergency medical aid to the patients being transported to the hospitals. He said the service had achieved its objective by successfully carrying 868 deliveries in the ambulances itself enroute to the hospitals out of thousands of pregnant women transported from their homes to the hospitals for institutional delivery. He said all the infants born in the ambulances were hale and hearty. He said free ambulance and institutional delivery facilities under Matri Sewa Yojna was available to every section of the society irrespective of their economic and social status. He said the scheme had been instrumental in lowering the infant mortality rate in the State substantially and improve health indicators in the State. He said the ambulance service was available to people within record time as the call in urban areas was attended to within 15 to 20 minutes and in rural areas from 20 to 30 minutes. He said that ambulance staff had been ensuring that no time was lost in reaching patients to pick them up for transportation to nearest hospitals. The Chief Minister said training facilities for para medical staff would also be carried at Dharampur control room so that more trained staff was available to take on the increasing demand for quality and prompt health services. He said an additional fleet of 27 ambulances was being added to the existing strength of 108 ambulances so that entire state was covered with the service by positioning them at reasonable spots to pick up patients within their jurisdiction without any loss of time. UNI
