Soon, 690 ambulances will patrol the highways across Maharashtra

There is likely to be more help soon for victims of accidents on state highways. In an affidavit filed in the Bombay high court on Wednesday, the government said that 690 state-of-the-art ambulances will soon start patrolling the highways.

Sharwaree Gokhale, additional chief secretary (public health
department), said in the affidavit that the government plans to launch a project that will ensure quick and efficient medical response to victims of mishaps on the highways.

It wants to introduce pre-hospital emergency medical response for “safe transportation of patients to appropriate hospitals for saving lives and limbs, and for minimising sufferings.”

The project aims at building collaboration between public and private sectors to provide cost-effective and responsive ambulance services to the people of the state on a sustainable basis. It is expected to cost Rs110 crore approximately. The money will come from the national rural health mission funds, Gokhale added in her affidavit.

The state took the decision while replying to a PIL filed by Dr Shyam Kulkarni. The petitioner, who runs a  hospital on the Pune-Bangalore highway, had moved the high court after he was not paid his dues by the state government following the treatment of a highway accident victim in his hospital.

Instead of dealing with that singular case, the court widened the scope of the PIL, and asked the government to take measures to reduce accidents on highways.

On Wednesday, after the state submitted its affidavit, the court gave the petitioner’s advocate four weeks’ time to file a reply with suggestions to the government’s proposal.