Bhawanipatna: Amid growing clamour to make ambulance service more effective by overcoming the problems of fuel exhaustion, late arrival and remaining off road, most of the ambulances in Kalahandi district run without oxygen cylinders.
According to sources, as there are no oxygen cylinders available, kin of critical patients often hire cylinders from open markets. Even if they complain the hospital authorities about non-availability, no action is taken in this regard, kin of some patients lamented.
The ‘108 Ambulance Service’ has been running here for over past one month without oxygen cylinders. This unwarranted situation arose after the closure of oxygen cylinder-refilling unit at Banamalipur.
As there is short-supply of cylinders from Sambalpur cylinder-refilling unit, providing oxygen cylinders in the ambulances have now become difficult, departmental officials of Kalahandi explained.
Even as the central as well as state governments spend crores of rupees in this regard, patients’ emergency transportation service in the district is paralysed. It is also alleged that, fans and air-conditioners provided in the ambulances have become defunct.
Giving her views on the issue, Kalahandi chief district medical officer (CDMO) Dr Banalata Devi said, “We have sought reports on the requirement of oxygen cylinders in the district. Necessary steps will be taken to bring refilled oxygen cylinders from outside.”
Notably, ambulances need to be equipped with necessary medical apparatus and trained staff, to begin treatment at the earliest. Apart from giving first-aid, ambulances these days should have paramedics on-board to provide basic and advanced life support services to patients including oxygen cylinder, electrocardiography machine and defibrillator, in case of emergent situations.
‘108’ is a toll-free emergency telephone number which is in use in 25 states and two union territories of India, with an aim to provide emergency ambulance service free of cost to the people.