more-in In a step towards providing quality emergency care services, the State Government is replacing 200 ambulances across the State with Basic Life Support (BLS) vehicles. With GVK-Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) 108 Ambulance Service being the nodal agency to operate emergency services, the initiative has been taken up under the public-private partnership mode with the support of the Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare. Of the total 439 ambulances, 200 will be replaced with BLS vehicles. 175 vehicles deployed “In line with this proposal, 175 BLS vehicles have already been deployed in 13 districts of the State. In Visakhapatnam, 15 vehicles have been allocated and 11 are now in operation. The remaining vehicles will be inducted in the next few weeks,” says Hemanta Kumar Bhattu, regional manager of Andhra Pradesh GVK-EMRI. Equipped with additional features such as a multi-channel monitor, a suction apparatus, a wheelchair, neonatal blankets, a pulse oximeter and a D’type oxygen cylinder, the new vehicles aim to strengthen emergency response capabilities. These vehicles cater to the emergency needs, covering tribal, rural and urban areas. The response time of the old vehicle from the base station to the spot of incident is 17 minutes and 35 seconds in urban areas; 21 minutes and 13 seconds in rural areas; and 27 minutes and 4 seconds in tribal hamlets. “The induction of new ambulances aim to render better service and bring down the response time further,” said Mr. Bhattu. The multi-channel monitor fitted in the BLS ambulance helps in monitoring the vital parameters of the patient and provides improved pre-hospital trauma care to the victim. “Blood pressure, pulse and oxygen level can be monitored consistently by the emergency medical technician so that efforts can be made to stabilise the condition of the patient while reaching the hospital,” explains G. Balaraju, executive of GVK-EMRI, Visakhaptnam division. Sources said the government was also planning to add advanced life support ambulances to the fleet.

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