In order to ensure quick emergency services to the patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, 77 new ambulances are being pressed into operation, Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said.
Flagging off 15 Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances from Mohali, the health minister informed that to fulfil the shortage of ambulances in the government hospitals, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has given a nod to procure 100 more ambulances.
Sidhu said that in the first phase, an order for 77 ambulances has been placed, of which 17 Advance Life Support (ALS) ambulances have already been given to the districts. These ALS ambulances are fully equipped with life-saving equipment such as ventilators, defibrillators, multi-para patient monitors, suction machines, nebulizers, etc.
On Friday, the delivery of the 60 BLS ambulances commenced with the first lot of 15 ambulances and the remaining would be made available by the end of August.
These ambulances are proving to be one of the main pillars of fighting the pandemic by reducing significantly the time required for the transit of critical patients to the required health facilities. The Emergency Ambulances reach the place within 20 minutes in urban areas and within 30 minutes in rural areas.
The health minister said that at a time when Punjab was seeing a rise in numbers of COVID-19 positive patients, the addition of these new ambulances will further give a boost to the efforts of fighting the pandemic. The new ALS and BLS ambulances would prove life-saving for the patients developing respiratory and other critical issues, said Sidhu.
It may be observed that from March to July, ambulance 108 has handled 25,177 COVID-related cases, said he and added that there are currently 19 ALS and 223 BLS ambulances already operational in the State which have been deputed at Strategic places and are connected with '108' Emergency Response System (ERS).
MD Punjab Health System Corporation, Tanu Kashyap, Director, Dr Balwant Singh and other officials from Punjab Health System Corporation were present on the occasion.
( With inputs from ANI )