Soon, dial 108 for ambulance service

RANCHI: The health department hopes to start the 108 Emergency Ambulance Service in the next financial year. The proposal was in the pipeline since last year.
The ambulances will be well-equipped with advanced life support systems and all modern facilities. Drivers and paramedic staff will be trained to handle all emergencies and even make most of the 'Golden Hour' while attending to an accident victim.Besides, there will also be a technician travelling in each ambulance.
Apart from this, call centres will be opened at strategic locations with doctors available 24x7 at the control room. Around 274 ambulances will be deployed in a phased manner. As of now, there are no separate emergency ambulance services in the state other than those provided by respective hospitals.
The director-in-chief of health, P Chandra, agreed that the service had got delayed. "The tender documentation is under way. We hope to finish it very soon and once it gets the cabinet nod, the tender will be floated. The services will start in the next financial year. It's a long-drawn procedure. The ambulances will be provided in a phased manner. Drivers and paramedic staff will be trained before that," said Chandra.
While 13 states have already started this emergency ambulance service, talks have been on in Jharkhand since last year. "Earlier, the entire process was about to roll on the basis of nomination. Later, it was changed to an open tender, which slackened the progress," said the director-in-chief.