Taking a cue from the successful deployment of around 40 ‘bike ambulances’ during the Medaram jatara in the tribal majority Mulugu district in February this year, the State government is mulling expanding the bike ambulance services to some of the hard-to-reach areas in the State’s tribal region.
Minister for Panchayat Raj, Women and Child Welfare and Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka) on Saturday launched as many as 10 bike ambulances at a programme held in Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Utnoor, in the erstwhile composite Adilabad district.
The 10 ambulances will be stationed at various Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to attend to medical emergencies in around 103 remote villages mostly far-flung tribal habitations, devoid of pucca roads, sources said.
The bike ambulances to be manned by trained paramedics and field staff of the health department will offer services to the needy in remote areas which are inaccessible for four-wheeler ambulances mostly located in the forest fringe areas in the tribal region, sources added.
Plans are afoot to expand the fleet of bike ambulance services to the tribal areas in the former undivided Khammam, Warangal and Mahabubnagar districts, including Chenchu habitations in Nagarkurnool district.
The move assumes significance in view of the recurring travails of people living in interior tribal habitations in the fringes of forests, who are compelled to carry pregnant women and sick people in ‘Dolis’ (makeshift stretchers) during rainy season to access timely health services and emergency medicare.
Published – September 22, 2024 08:28 pm IST
