Question : Mobile Ambulance Service

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether a large number of people die due to unavailability of ambulance service during an emergency especially in rural areas;

(b) if so, the details thereof and corrective steps taken by the Government in this regard, State/UT-wise;

(c) whether the Government is mulling to introduce app based and hi-tech ambulance services for immediate life support in case of an emergency and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether mobile vans/dispensaries/ units are currently functioning in certain State of the country, if so, the details thereof and funds allocated during the last three years and the current year for the same including the proposals received from the States/UTs to start such services; and

(e) whether the Government proposes to formulate any scheme for financing Ambulance Service, if so, the details thereof and the criteria/guidelines fixed in this regard?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE)

(a) & (b): Public health and hospitals being a State subject, no such data is maintained centrally.

(c): Public health and hospitals being a State subject, the primary responsibility to provide healthcare including ambulance services lies with the State Governments. However, under the National Health Mission (NHM), technical and financial support is provided to States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare systems including support for ambulance services including Advance Life Support (ALS) ambulances, based on the proposals made by the States/UTs in their Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs).

State/UT-wise details of ambulances (usually Dial-108/Dial-102) and empaneled vehicles under NHM are at Annexure-I.




(d): State/UT-wise details of Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) are at Annexure-II.

Details of funds approved towards National MMUs under Health System Strengthening during the last three years and the current year are at Annexure-III.

Details of the proposals received from the States/UTs, in the form of PIPs are available at URL: http://nhm.gov.in/nrhm-in-state/state-program-implementation-plans-pips.html.

(e): Ambulances under the National Ambulance Service are already being financed under the NHM. Proposals received from States/UTs for ambulance under the NHM, are appraised on the basis of population to be served and average response time, average kilometres covered per ambulance per day and patients transported per day by existing fleet of ambulances.