Atal Dullo reviews working of 102/108 ambulance service in JK

Jammu: Financial Commissioner (FC), Health & Medical Education, Atal Dulloo Friday convened a meeting at Civil Secretariat Jammu to review the working of 102/108 Ambulance Service in Jammu and Kashmir.
Terming the ambulance service as a boon for the society, the FC said this service saves precious lives by providing timely medical care to people particularly residing in far flung and difficult areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
While expressing his satisfaction over the working of 108 Ambulance Service, he stressed on the need to further improve the working of 102 ambulance service so that the eligible beneficiaries under Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) avail the benefits of this service in a hassle free manner.
He also issued directions to Chief Medical Officers and SHTOs in Kashmir and Jammu divisions to ensure that all the calls received under 102 are provided drop-back service.
The ambulance service is being run in collaboration with BVG India Limited and there is a fleet of 116 Life Support Ambulances consisting of 50 Advance Life Support Ambulances and 66 Basic Life Support Ambulances which respond to Toll Free number 108.
It was given out in the meeting that 300 Ambulances respond to Toll free number 102 and pregnant women and infants upto the age of one year can avail drop-back facility through this service.
The FC was informed that since the operationalisation of Toll free number 108, around 3777 patients of Cardiac, Trauma, Respiratory Distress, Burns, Animal attacks and Road Traffic Accidents have been shifted from the scene of accident to the hospitals. The service has also benefited 1701 pregnancy related cases by providing them timely ambulance.
It was also given out in the meeting that the health department is in the process of procurement of 50 more critical care ambulances for which the funds have been proposed in the current financial year 2020-21. These 50 critical care ambulances, 25 each for Directorate of Health Services, Jammu and Kashmir will be integrated with 108 ambulance services to add to their pool.
Mission Director, National Health Mission, Bhupinder Kumar informed the FC that there is a proposal to augment 108 service by integrating additional ambulances.
The meeting was attended by Mission Director, National Health Mission, Bhupinder Kumar; Director Health Services, Kashmir, Dr Sameer Mattoo, Director Health Services Jammu, Dr Renu Sharma, Joint Director Planning Health and Medical Education, Madan Lal, Divisional Nodal Officer, Jammu NHM, Dr Harjit Rai, all Chief Medical Officers and SHTOs of Kashmir and Jammu.