For a while now news had been doing rounds that Bengaluru may get its first bike ambulance in the state. Yesterday, Health Minister U.T. Khader had launched 30 first responder bike ambulances in the city that shall hit the city streets from today. Two companies had reportedly undertaken the responsibility of setting up the air ambulance project in the State. By the end of this year, air ambulances shall also be in place.
The move is indeed aimed at reducing deaths due to road accidents wherein the platinum trauma care initiative is useful for negotiating heavy traffic in urban areas where a four-wheeler ambulance would take time to navigate and reach the accident spot. The bikes would be flagged off by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today. Speaking more on the occasion, he said, “The paramedic will reach the spot in ten minutes and give first aid and start resuscitation measures to save the victim till the four-wheeler ambulance arrives.”
Amongst the 30 bikes, 21 units shall be stationed at strategic locations and one in each disricts Mysore, Mangaluru, Kalaburgi, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Davangere, Tumkuru, Vijayapura and Shivamogga. The bikes would have 40 medical items that includes stethoscope, pulse oxymeter, bandages and IV normal saline apart from 53 basic drugs. The government has reportedly procured the bikes at a whopping cost of about Rs. 2 Lakh per unit.
Source: TH
