MP will be among developed states in medical services

Health included in seven priorities, CM Shri Chouhan inaugurates 108 EMS Service

Bhopal:Thursday, July 16, 2009:Updated 18:11IST The Chief Minister, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that efforts are being made to bring Madhya Pradesh in the category of developed states from the point of view of health services. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said this while flagging off 12 new ambulances for Bhopal district under Emergency Medical Service at his official residence here today.
Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that it is a challenging task to convey medical services to the common man in the vastly populated Madhya Pradesh. He said that health has been included in seven priorities of the state government to meet this challenge.
Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that during the last five years the number of beds in hospitals of all levels in the state has been increased from 9 to 14 thousand. Medicare is being provided to poor patients through Deendayal Antyodaya Upchar Yojana and State Illness Assistant Fund. Health services have been increased in District Hospitals apart from establishment of new health centres. He said that assistance to poor patients is also being provided through Chief Minister's Discretionary Fund which has been increased to Rs 18 crore.
The Chief Minister said that the Emergency Medical Service launched today will be gradually extended to all the districts. He hoped that this service will check loss of human lives by providing timely medical services in such cases as road mishaps, fire incidents, medical trauma, heart attack, brain haemorrhage and delivery.
Health and Family Planning Minister Shri Anup Mishra described the Emergency Medical Service as an important beginning. He informed that Emergency Medical Service has been launched by Health and Family Welfare Department on no-profit, no loss basis with technical help of GVK-EMRI. The department has advanced Rs 16 crore 60 lakh to Madhya Pradesh unit of GVK-EMRI to meet expenditure on necessary software at the call centres, quipped ambulances/appliances and recurring expenses. Besides, the state government will spend Rs 15 crore more on this service this year.
First of all this service will be made available this year in five districts including Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Rewa. Later, this service will be extended in one district adjoining these districts. One hundred ambulances will be pressed into service in selected districts during the year.
Every ambulance will be manned by a driver and an emergency paramedical technician (EMT) who is fully trained to provide first aid to patients. These ambulances will be equipped with necessary life-saving appliances, medicines and material. The drivers of these ambulances have mobile phones.
These ambulances will work on GPS/GIS mode through which geographical situation of an ambulance can be known anytime and its staff can be instructed to reach patients or accident victims immediately. Generally, an ambulance will reach the patient in 18 to 20 minutes in urban areas and 28 to 30 minutes in the rural areas.
Under the scheme 108 is a completely toll-free number which can be dialled without code number from any telephone or mobile phone. The call will be received at the call centre which will elicit information about the affected person and place so that an ambulance can be sent at the right address.
At the outset, Chief Minister Shri Chouhan offered puja and then handed over keys of these ambulances to their drivers and paramedical staff. Shri Lulla of GVK threw light on the service. Those present on the occasion included Principal Secretary Health Shri Devraj Birdi, Health Commissioner Dr. Manohar Agnani, secretary to CM Shri Anurag Jain, Health Secretary Shri Omesh Mundra and collector Bhopal Shri Sheo Shekhar Shukla.