Maharashtra Government has decided to deploy 17 ambulances on Samruddhi Expressway to serve the accident victims.
As a joint venture of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the State Health Department, the toll-free number 108 for requisitioning an ambulance has been in service since 2014. Now the same service is being provided on Samruddhi. The ambulances have been made available from May 26.
Dr Prashant Ghate, Divisional Manager of Maharashtra Emergency Medical Services (MEMS), told a media house that every ambulance stationed on Samruddhi had a trauma assessment kit to save the lives of accident victims. Basic care of the patient would be taken till the patient reaches a hospital.
Excessive blood flow can cause the injured to go into shock. The ambulances are equipped with special blankets and upper spinal immobilization devices, to be inserted before the victim is taken out of the vehicle. This will ensure that the patient does not move from the neck to the waist. As a result, bleeding would be reduced.
The ambulances have everything from ventilators to shock absorbers. Along with necessary medicines, a pump for speeding saline administration, an infusion pump for injections is also available. Ghate also said that the doctors and the ambulance drivers are imparted training for using these devices.