Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will procure 70 ambulances for transportation of patients, officials said Wednesday.
Of these, 30 would be advanced life support (ALS) ambulances and 40 would be basic life support (BLS) ambulances, they said.
These ambulances will be used to transport patients, getting treated under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), referred to private hospitals, besides deployment for jails, VIPs and special events, they said.
These ambulances will be deployed in the districts and medical colleges soon, the Health and Family Welfare Department posted on X.
The cost for procuring 30 ALS ambulances will be borne by Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL), while the procurement of the 40 BLS ambulances will be made by the state government with it own funds, officials said.
Health Secretary Shalini Pandit directed the hospitals and districts to recruit ambulance assistants, drivers and other staff by the end of this month.
The state government launched the BSKY in August 2018, providing annual health coverage of Rs 5 lakh to over 70 lakh families.
PTI