Agartala: The Tripura government, under a central scheme, will soon launch Emergency Response Service (ERS) to provide 24-hour medical facilities to patients at their doorstep, officials said here on Friday.
The health department of the Tripura government will start the ERS under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) by early next year.
"To start the ERS, 75 ambulances would be purchased at a cost of Rs 7 crore. Tripura would be the second state in northeast after Assam to launch this emergency health service scheme," Tripura NRHM director Samarjeet Bhowmik told reporters.
The central government has already sanctioned Rs 7 crore for the purpose and the state government has also submitted a detailed project report (DPR) in the health and family welfare ministry accordingly.
Bhowmik said: "There would be a control room in each district, sub-divisional and state headquarters to operate the scheme. An ambulance would reach the patient`s doorstep at any time, once a call is made to the control room through a toll free telephone number."
Under the scheme, ambulances fitted with basic life support system and medicines will be run by a private operator.
The coordination will be done through a call centre. It will arrange for a doctor, paramedical staff and a driver for running the vehicle.
"The treatment will start once the patient boards the ambulance and continue till the patient reaches the nearest hospital," the official said.
The official said that the state government has asked the central health and family welfare ministry to allow the Tripura government to run the scheme, instead of a private operator.
"The union government`s response in this regard is yet to come," the official said.
IANS
