Goa to Establish Emergency Care Centers & Deploy Ambulances Along Highways

The health department is actively establishing these centers and will deploy ambulances on highways to reduce response times, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane informed the assembly on Thursday.

The Goa government has announced the establishment of emergency care centers and the deployment of ambulances along the state's highways to enhance accident response capabilities.

The health department is actively establishing these centers and will deploy ambulances on highways to reduce response times, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane informed the assembly on Thursday.

In a written reply, Rane highlighted that nine cardiac care ambulances and two neonatal ambulances have already been procured, with 17 additional advanced lifesaving ambulances in the pipeline.

This initiative aims to address the 23 complaints of delayed response by the 108 ambulance services received over the past three years.

Further, minister Rane emphasized the urgent need for more ambulances, noting that the current emergency ambulance service is under immense pressure.

He stated that at least 20 more ambulances are needed to adequately meet the demand.

"We need to increase them by another 20 ambulances. We currently have four ambulances on reserve, five cardiac ambulances, four neonatal ambulances, and 35 bike ambulances, but there is still too much pressure," Rane said during question hour, responding to a query by Santa Cruz MLA Rudolfo Fernandes.

The government has received 23 complaints over the past three years regarding deficiencies in the 108 ambulance service.

Of these, 21 complaints related to ambulances arriving late, with delays ranging from half an hour to over an hour. In two cases from Curchorem and Verna last year, victims died due to the late arrival of ambulances.

Complaints were also received from Salcete, Bardez, Tiswadi, Sattari, Pernem, Quepem, and Vasco.

In almost all instances, the delays were attributed to ambulances being occupied with other medical emergencies at the time of the call. The health department is in the process of procuring new ambulances to reduce response times during critical golden hours, Minister Rane stated.

Recently, Pinnacle Industries launched its latest emergency medical vehicle, the AD-Gen Ambulance, to elevate the standards of medical transportation in India. Per the company, this vehicle can be built and converted on various platforms, making it versatile and accessible.

Last month, leading hospital Gleneagles BGS Hospital introduced ambulance service in partnership with Medulance. The first phase of the rollout includes five ambulances equipped with 5G technology to serve the areas immediately surrounding the hospital.

This new initiative aims to transform emergency medical response through enhanced technology and provide superior patient care.