The ‘108 Sanjeevni’ Ambulance service and ‘102 Mahatari Express’, remained suspended in sensitive parts of Bijapur, Dantewada and Sukma district for a consecutive third day, after an ambulance out of the 108 ambulance was blown up that was carrying CRPF personnel, under Darbha police station on April 12. Five security personnel and two ambulance staff were killed in the blast, which were returning after election duty in the insurgency hit district.
State Operation Head, 108 and 102 ambulance services, Suresh Kamble informed that ambulance operations have been mainly stopped in Darbha (Bastar), Kutru, Awapalli (Bijapur), Tongpal, Kuwakonda (Sukma) region.
“We are reviewing the situation and as soon as we find it safe the running of ambulance service would be resumed, Kamble said.
Notably 108 and 102 ambulance are an important service for people of Bastar region, for reaching hospitals from far flung area which barely have medical facilities.
“We were forced to stop emergency ambulance services- 108 Sanjeevani and 102 Mahtari express due to security reasons. At some places in the interior parts of Bastar suspected Naxals had stopped some of our ambulances and considering the security aspect of ambulance staff we had to stop its running,” Kamble informed, hoping that in coming two or three days these services would be resumed.
He further informed that about 50 each 108 ambulance’ and ‘102 Mahtari express’ are ruining in entire Bastar region. After the Darbha incident, operation of 11 ambulances that include 6, 102 Mahatari express and 5, 108-Sanjeevi ambulances have been halted in the Tribal dominated region.
In other parts of Bastar that include Narayanpur, Jagdalpur, Kanker, both the service are functioning properly, he said.
Noteworthy here is that “108 Sanjeevani Express” is an emergency ambulance service run with the support of Government of India in states, while 102 Mahtrari express is a free ambulance service provided by State Government for pregnant women and also for children below the age of one year.