Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday launched a new fleet of 1,088 of '108' and '104' ambulances to provide emergency medicare in urban and rural areas of the state.
Out of the 1,088 ambulances, 656 are '104' ambulances with mobile clinics that will provide 77 types of medical service.
The rest of the medical vehicles are '108' ambulances that have been launched in three categories - basic life support, advanced life support and neonatal support.
Dr Ramesh Kumar, special chief secretary to the Chief Minister, told , "The '104' ambulances are a revolutionary idea that will ensure that everyone has access to good quality healthcare facilities. They will be the link between the village clinic and the primary health centre. These mobile hospitals will also help create a health record for each member of every family to stay one step ahead of any disease that may come their way. Two neonatal-support ambulances will be stationed at every district to reduce the infant mortality rate."
Kumar also added that the new fleet will help in efficiently caring for those who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. "We noticed that when someone gets infected, they fall sick very fast. The '108' will help us mobilise patients who need emergency care, and '104' ambulances will help us keep surveillance of the health condition of the people," he said.
Each ambulance is equipped with the latest technology and a webcam. According to Dr Pratyusha, a medical officer, this will enable the sitting doctor to consult another doctor, if need be, so that the best medical advice can be given. "The '104' ambulances will cater to the needs of around 30,000-40,000 people and will save a lot of lives," she added.
( With inputs from ANI )