The launch of newly acquired ambulances – 108 and 104 – by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh has fetched him tremendous mileage to the YSR Congress party chief at a time when the Coronavirus pandemic is fast spreading in the state.
May be after a long time, Jagan’s ambulance launch got some praiseworthy coverage in the national media which generally ignores him because of their obsession with Telugu Desam Party led by N Chandrababu Naidu.
The scheme received appreciation from the national media because of their increased accessibility to the poor people, especially the Coronavirus positive patients.
Popular television anchor and senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai tweeted within a couple of hours of Jagan launching the ambulances.
“Southern states seem to be a step ahead of the rest in corona control. AP launches 1088 ambulances with mobile clinics to be used to screen every household in the state, linked to local health centres, doctors…well done @ysjagan… hope to see others follow suit,” Rajdeep tweeted.
Of the new ambulances, 412 are meant for 108 emergency services and 676 are for 104 ambulances which run as mobile clinics with advanced life support systems.
The ambulances include 26 vehicles exclusively for neo-natal services having incubators and other essential facilities for babies born with complications.
The 104 ambulances will provide 20 types of medical services including all screening for communicable and non-communicable diseases. Apart from oxygen cylinders, these new ambulances have ventilators, infusion pumps, syringe pumps and comfortable stretchers besides provisions for delivery.
The vehicles are also enabled with surveillance cameras to ensure proper health care monitoring by doctors. The state government spent Rs 201 crore on purchase of these ambulances.
In all, 744 doctors will be made available for these services and they will visit every village once in every month to offer medical services, he said.