'National Highways to have life support ambulances'

New Delhi, Mar 6: All National Highways will be covered by life support ambulance, every 50 km, in the next three to four years, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ambumani Ramadoss today informed the Lok Sabha during Question Hour.

He said this was part of the Government's policy of providing immediate treatment to trauma victims, considering a large number of deaths occurring in accidents on the highways. Mr Ramadoss was replying to Mr Ramdas Athawale (RPI) who asked whether the Government had any proposal to assist the setting up of specialized trauma care centres in state capitals and union territories, upgrade and modernise the existing centres across the country.

The Government had decided to develop a network of Trauma Centres along the Golden Quadrilateral, North-South and East West Corridors of the National Highways, he said.

The project envisages the availability of life support ambulance every 50 km along the National Highways. While trauma centres would be set up every 100-150 km, there will be a trauma centre every 300 km having specialised treatment to trauma victims and every 500 km, a centre having super-speciality treatment hospital.

The network has been designed to ensure that no trauma victim was transported for more than 50 km and a designated trauma centre every 100 km, he said.

UNI