Chennai: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday flagged off a first-of-its-kind two-wheeler ambulance service. Women paramedics have also been roped into the project to save lives of road accident victims in this unique scheme. Aimed at saving lives, the Rs 70 lakh service would provide first-aid to accident victims in the city in the first ‘platinum ten minutes’, which is critical for the survival of accident victims.
The two-wheeler ambulances will strengthen the existing emergency service 108. Among the 41 vehicles are 31 motor-bikes and 10 scooters. The vehicles have been designed to be ridden by both men and women paramedics.
Equipped with sirens, the bikes would be parked in public places and important traffic signal points and operated during peak hours in daytime on roads with high volumes of traffic and in narrow lanes.
The paramedics would provide several emergency services, including identifying the nature of injuries, resuscitation and administering oxygen and control of bleeding.
First-aid would be provided at the accident spot to reduce intensity of injuries and increase the chances of saving the life of the injured.
The paramedics would also assist the injured to receive best emergency treatment and also reduce the response time for the injured to receive such treatment. The bikes have been fitted with several life saving devices including portable oxygen cylinder, pulsoxymeter, BP apparatus, glucometer, digital thermometer and medicines.
The two-wheeler ambulance vehicle would be rushed to the accident spot soon after a call is received at the 108 control room.
First-aid would be provided to the accident victims depending upon the nature of injuries and, if necessary, the victims would be sent to nearby hospitals through ambulances. Based on the success of the scheme, it would be extended to other places beyond Chennai.
The release added that the government led by Jayalalithaa has increased total number of '108' ambulances from 385 to 755 in the last five years.
