More than 4.27 lakh people have availed the benefit of Mahatari Express, a service to provide immediate medical care to the expectant mothers at the time of delivery.
The free ambulance service is very beneficial for the pregnant women and children in the age group of one year, officials said.
The officials said that Chief Minister Raman Singh had launched the Mahtari scheme in Bilaspur on August 23, 2013 and in Raipur on September 23, 2013. As many as 300 Mahtari Express ambulances equipped with necessary medical facilities have been deployed at Government hospitals.
The ambulance reached the residence of the beneficiary on receiving call on Toll Free number 102 and carried the pregnant woman or ill child to the hospital along with family members. The patients are also taken back home by the service after treatment.
Since the beginning of the service, as many as 1.98 lakh pregnant women have been transported from their residence to hospital by the Mahatari Express.
Similarly 1.67 lakh women and children have been brought back to their homes after treatment. On directions of the doctors, as many as 32137 pregnant women have been taken from one hospital to another. About 29000 children in the age group of 0-1 year have benefited from the service, officials said.
Interestingly, Bastar division topped among other divisions of Chhattisgarh to have hugely promoted institutional delivery in the region, officials claimed as per an official statement issued on September 3 this year.
For this, the ‘Mahatari Express-102’ service has proved most effective in promoting institutional delivery in the tribal dominated Bastar division, they stated. Along with institutional delivery, effective management for safe delivery has been ensured in all the seven districts of the division. ‘Mahatari Express-102’ has played vital role in this direction.
On account of the services of ‘Mahatari Express-102’ safe and institutional delivery of pregnant women of rural and urban areas could be ensured in hospitals and health centres.
The service has successfully been operating in Bastar division since September 24, 2013. Not only pregnant women, but the ‘Mahatari Express-102’ vehicles carry sick children below one year to the nearest Health Centre.
Divisional Manager of Mahatari Express-102, B Santosh Kumar had informed that total 59 Mahatari Express-102 have been operating in Bastar division. A total 6,351 pregnant women in the division have been benefited through Mahatari Express in August 2014.
A total of 15 Mahatari Express vehicles had benefited 2,026 pregnant women in Bastar district. Similarly, six Mahatari Express vehicles operating in Bijapur district have benefited 459 pregnant women, 761 in Dantewada district, 899 in Kondagaon district, 160 in Narayanpur district, 550 in Sukma district and 1,496 in Kanker district.