'Will Strengthen Emergency Healthcare Services': Telangana CM Flags Off 466 Ambulances

In the past, there was one '108' vehicle for every one lakh people, but now the availability has improved to one vehicle for every 75,000 people, the state Home Minister said.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday flagged off 466 emergency vehicles at People's Plaza on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad on Tuesday. These vehicles consist of 204 ambulances for 108 services, 228 Amma Vodi 102 vehicles (transport facility for pregnant women) and 34 free hearse vehicles.

State Home Minister T Harish Rao said these vehicles would further strengthen emergency healthcare services in the state, contributing to the achievement of the "Arogya Telangana" goal. He said these vehicles would efficiently reach patients and ensure that their medical needs are promptly attended to.

The minister also mentioned that since the formation of Telangana, the number of ambulances has increased from 316 to 455. In the past, there was one '108' vehicle for every one lakh people, but now the availability has improved to one vehicle for every 75,000 people.

He stated that the average response time for 108 ambulances had come down to 15 minutes from earlier 30 minutes.

"In 2014, there were no Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances but today every district has one such ambulance. At the time of formation of the state, there were no ambulances for newborn but today there is one such ambulance in every district. Ammavodi vehicles are providing services to 4,000 pregnant women every day while 108 vehicles are catering to 2,000 people. There were no Ammavodi vehicles in 2014 but today there are 300 such vehicles," he said.

"Similarly, there were no free Hearse vehicles when the state was formed. Today, the state has 50 such vehicles. They are providing services for an average of 35 death cases every day. The government has taken several measures to strengthen healthcare services in the state. A 100-bed hospital is being established in every constituency," he further said.

The government is taking further steps to improve the healthcare infrastructure in the state. Medical colleges will be established in every hospital, including four Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS) hospitals in Hyderabad, and Health City in Warangal. 

Harish Rao expressed confidence that the state's healthcare system was now well-equipped to handle any pandemic-like situation, such as the Covid-19 crisis.

Additionally, he announced that the state government would cover the mobile phone bills of ASHA workers, and newly appointed ASHA workers in Hyderabad would be provided with smartphones.

The minister also revealed that the salaries of '108' emergency service employees would be enhanced in four different slabs, implying a salary increase for these employees.