STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: The State Health Department (SHD) is running against time to install GPS system on the ambulances before bringing them under the ambit of the Vehicle Tracking Mechanism System (VTMS).
According to official sources, out of 900 ambulances, deployed across the State in different health institutions, only 400 of them have been fitted with GPS system mounted on the ambulances and connected through the network.
Around 500 ambulances are yet to be brought under the ambit of the VTMS, official sources claimed. These ambulances were also being operated without any networking. To ensure better networking, two control rooms have been established in Jammu and Srinagar.
Commenting on the status of these ambulances, senior Health Department officials claimed, “Most of these ambulances are just for patient transport and not even fitted with the Basic Life Support (BLS) equipments like oxygen, suction machine and emergency drugs.
Even the drivers of these ambulances shift the patients without any training on basic life support and in most of the ambulances; doctors or para-medics are not available.
According to study, conducted by the State Health Department, the golden hour is lost in majority of cases as the poor networking of ambulance failed to shift the patients in need of emergency services within 15-20 minutes of medical emergency.
To ensure better coverage, the State Health Department, according to official sources, is planning to procure 136 BLS ambulances under National Highway Accident Relief Service Scheme for which Rs13.36 crore as first installment has been released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, GOI.
These ambulances are expected to be deployed in the hospitals along the National Highways to tackle the emergencies arising due to frequent road accidents.
