More than 7.46 lakh people in Chhattisgarh have availed the services of 108 ambulance ‘Sanjeevni Express’ service during the past four years. The ‘Sanjeevni Express’ is going to complete four years of service on Sunday (January) 25 this year, officials stated. Sanjeevni Express was flagged off by Chief Minister Raman Singh on January 25, 2011 from Bastar. Initially the service was launched with 36 ambulances and presently 237 Sanjeevni Express ambulances are running in 27 districts of the State.
This emergency service is being jointly run by State Health Department, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and a social welfare organisation GVK Foundation in assistance with Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI), Hyderabad. The foundation of the service was laid by JV Kirshna Reddy and one of its branches is operating from Rajbandha Ground locality in Raipur.
During the past four years, 2.23 lakh pregnant mothers, 10.08 lakh victims of road accidents and more than 23,000 other victims of accidents have been taken to various hospitals using Sanjeevni Ambulance Service. likewise, more than 20,000 heart and respiratory patients along with 96,000 individuals suffering from stomach related disorders have also used the ambulance service.
The Sanjeevni Express Control Room during the past four years has registered more than 92.13 lakh calls out of which 8.66 lakh were emergency calls. Out of these calls about 8.50 lakh were related to medical emergency while 11,000 were related to police emergency. Additional 6,000 calls related to fire incidents were also registered by 108.
Similarly, the Mahtari Express ambulances last year which had been launched for providing immediate medical aid to the women undergoing labour pains carried over 3.09 lakh patients to various hospitals across Chhattisgarh. The State Government’s Mahatari Express scheme has proved greatly beneficial in transporting pregnant women to hospitals on time and in facilitating necessary medical aid to them.
Newly-borns and infants of less than one year have also been benefited under the scheme. This scheme was started on the special initiative of Chief Minister Raman Singh. Health Department officials informed that the scheme is being operated in association with the social service organization GVK (EMRI). Started on the lines of ‘Dial 108 Sanjeevani Free Emergency Ambulance Service’, the Mahatari Express service is available on toll-free number 102. Any needy family may dial that number to avail the Mahatari Express Services.
The Mahatari Express ambulance reaches at doorstep to take pregnant woman in labour pains or sick infants (as the case may be) to a Government hospital. Moreover, on request of the patients, Mahatari Express also provides the drop home facility from hospital for free of cost. Chief Minister Raman Singh had inaugurated the scheme in Raipur on August 23, 2013. The Bastar division last year topped among other divisions of Chhattisgarh to have hugely promoted institutional delivery in the region, officials claimed.
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 aged below one year to the nearest health centre.