Gandhinagar, Sep 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) Gujarat is set to add 89 ambulances to its emergency healthcare network in tribal areas, with the state targeting a reduction in the average emergency response time from 18 minutes 32 seconds to around 10 minutes.
The expansion will take the ambulance fleet across identified tribal districts from 553 to 642 vehicles and is aimed at improving access to emergency medical care in remote areas affected by difficult terrain, forested regions, hilly landscapes and monsoon-related road disruptions.
At present, the average response time of the 108 Emergency Ambulance Service across Gujarat is around 13 minutes 9 seconds.
While the average is about 9 minutes 55 seconds in urban areas, it rises to around 16 minutes 28 seconds in rural areas.
Tribal regions currently record the highest response time at approximately 18 minutes 32 seconds, largely because of geographical and terrain-related challenges.
The state government said the new deployment is intended to bring emergency response in tribal areas closer to the state average by positioning ambulances nearer to remote communities and strengthening the network's ability to reach difficult locations.
Of the 89 new ambulances, 22 will be Advanced Life Support (ALS) vehicles for critically ill and high-risk patients requiring advanced pre-hospital emergency care, while 55 will be Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances for emergency transportation and essential life-support requirements.
The remaining 12 vehicles will be four-wheel-drive (4WD) ambulances designed for rough terrain, hilly areas and unpaved roads, including locations where heavy monsoon conditions and flooding can disrupt access.
Their deployment is intended to address situations in which conventional ambulances may face difficulties reaching remote tribal settlements.
The expansion is also focused on reducing delays during the critical "Golden Hour" following a serious medical emergency.
Faster access to emergency services is particularly relevant for pregnant women, newborns, children, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and critically ill patients living in remote and difficult-to-reach areas.
"The initiative seeks to improve both stages of emergency transportation: reaching patients quickly after an emergency call and transporting them to an appropriate healthcare facility," officials said.
By bringing ambulances closer to communities, the government expects to reduce the time between an emergency call and the arrival of medical assistance, while also strengthening connectivity between remote tribal settlements and healthcare facilities.
The procurement process for the additional fleet is currently underway and is being managed by the Additional Director of Medical Services, Gandhinagar.
Source: IANS
About Gopi
Gopi Adusumilli is a Programmer. He is the editor of SocialNews.XYZ and President of AGK Fire Inc.
He enjoys designing websites, developing mobile applications and publishing news articles on current events from various authenticated news sources.
When it comes to writing he likes to write about current world politics and Indian Movies. His future plans include developing SocialNews.XYZ into a News website that has no bias or judgment towards any.
He can be reached at gopi@socialnews.xyz