Andhra CM flags off 108, 104 vehicles, committed to revamp medical infrastructure
1 July, 2020 | newsx bureau
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has flagged off 108 and 104 ambulance vehicles. With the new fleet of vehicles pressed into service, the ratio of ambulance has come down from ...
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has flagged off a fleet of 1088 ambulance vehicles amid nostalgia of Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s voice on 108 service playing in the background and the ‘hospitals on wheels’ equipped with life support systems moving with the unmistakable siren to reach every mandal taking forward medicare in the state many notches higher.
The Chief Minister has seen off the vehicles, at Benz Circle in heart of the city here on Wednesday, which moved in four columns and went past the dais to various directions to reach their respective destinations. What started as a healthcare initiative as part of the Aarogyasri scheme initiated by Dr YS Rajasekhar Reddy has taken a complete shape with the Rs 201 crores worth 104 and 108 services accelerating the speed of medical services. The response time for 108 is 15 minutes and for 104 is 20 minutes which will help in ferrying the patient with the golden hour and save many lives.
For 108 service, 412 new vehicles were purchased adding to the existing 336 ambulances. The new vehicles are equipped with BLS (Basic Life Support) and ALS (Advanced Life Support) and in 26 vehicles neo-natal services are also provided.
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The BLS include, spine board stretcher, scoop stretcher, wheel chair, bag mask, multi para monitor while in the ALS vehicles also have ventilators and in neo-natal vehicles incubators are arranged. With the new fleet of vehicles pressed into service, the ratio of ambulance has come down from one vehicle for 1,19,454 people to 74,609 persons.
The 104 is a Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) which has one medical officer, data entry operator, driver, ANM, Asha Worker and will be attached to PHC and will have GPS.
Apart from oxygen cylinders, the new ambulances are equipped with ventilators, infusion pumps, syringe pumps, comfortable stretchers and have provisions for delivery. The vehicles are also enabled with surveillance cameras to ensure proper health care monitoring by doctors.
The neo-natal vehicles are supported with Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU). Delivery Locations and SNCUs are perfectly mapped to provide early intervention during the transport to SNCU which will reduce the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR). It has been estimated that around 10 to 12% of all newborns require SNCU supportive care.
The 676 MMUs of 104 will be spread across one vehicle for each mandal. Through these vehicles, 20 types of medical services including all screening for communicable and non-communicable diseases will be provided. In all, 744 doctors will be made available for these services and they will visit every village once in every month to offer medical services.
Dr YSR Rahadari Bhadratha is also being linked to 108 Services, where any road accident case will be treated free of cost in any hospital across the state for first 48 hours and up to Rs 50,000 cost. The amount will be reimbursed by Dr YSR Aarogyasri Health Care Trust.