After the successful operation of the 108 Ambulance service, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday, on the occasion of a population fortnight campaign, launched the 102 Ambulance services to provide round-the-clock referral transportation service exclusively for pregnant women and sick infants of the State free-of-cost.
“A total of 500 basic life supports (BlSs) fitted with the global positioning system (GPS) under the 102 Ambulance project will be engaged in all the 30 districts. Around 13 lakh beneficiaries will get the benefit annually under the service,” said the Chief Minister here at a function.
The ‘102’ was introduced under the Janani and Sishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), a flagship programme under the National Health Mission (NHM) and the National Ambulance Service.
The Chief Minister expressed his satisfaction over the decrease in total fertility rate (TFR), the most important indicator in population control programme, from a shocking 4.7 to 2.1 in SRS 2012.
Stressing on institutional delivery, Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said, “Presently for institutional maternal and child care, 462 Janani Express ambulances are engaged in the State since 2008. Now, the 102 Ambulance service will ensure timely transportation of the beneficiaries to the hospitals.”
Stating that the Government is trying to adhere the norms of at least one BlS ambulance per 50,000 people, Health and Family Welfare Secretary PK Mohapatra said that after the introduction of 102 Ambulance service, the 108 Ambulances would be specifically engaged in medical emergencies like accidents.
“The 102 Ambulance service will be managed through a centralised 24x7 call centre having an universal 102 toll-free number and an average 30 minutes will be kept as response time for the ambulance to reach the beneficiaries,” said Mohapatra.
NHM Managing Director Roopa Mishra highlighted the Government’s achievement in controlling the population growth.
The Chief Minister felicitated some districts for their outstanding performances in family planning and sterilisation, etc.