New Delhi: A bike ambulance facility has been launched in the remote villages of the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra in a bid to provide primary health care to people from distant areas.
Shubham Gupta, the Project officer of the Integrated Tribal Development Project, said, "There're 122 villages in Bhamragarh, Gadchiroli that face connectivity issues during monsoons. We introduced bike ambulances in villages lacking metalled roads. We've stretchers to provide stability to patients."
"The bike ambulances would have medical kits with basic medicines to treat common diseases. Also apart from this a first aid box and oxygen cylinder will also be there. A patient can be ferried on a bed attached like a sidecar of the bike ambulance," he added.
Gupta further said, "For the first year, it would be the ITDP which shall bear fuel cost, salaries of drivers and other expenses. The Zilla parishad would take up the project from the second year onwards."
The bike ambulances are driven by people who work in coordination with (Accredited Social Health Activist) ASHA workers.
"Our concept is to provide ambulances to remote villages that are far-flung and had road & network connectivity issues. We have appointed drivers for bike ambulances who work in coordination with ASHA workers", said Bhushan Choudhari, Medical officer at Bhamragarh.
"A bike ambulance, aims to increase institutional deliveries and reduce neonatal or maternal mortality rates as tribals in the remote hamlets are often compelled to go for home deliveries in the absence of doctors or ambulances," Choudhari added.
(With agency inputs)