Kerala plans 'Golden Goal' network linking 108 and other ambulances for accident victims
Kerala's Health Department will link 108 and government ambulances in a coordinated network to get road accident victims to suitable hospitals faster.
Kerala will bring government and private ambulances into one coordinated emergency response network for road accident victims under a new Health Department initiative called 'Golden Goal', Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, according to The Hindu.
The project will first be piloted in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha districts. In the first phase, the existing Integrated Command and Control Centre for emergency ambulance services will be expanded to coordinate 108 ambulances along with those run by the Directorate of Health Services, the Medical Education department and other government institutions. Private and NGO-run ambulances are to join in the second phase.
The report says the move follows the rollout of 335 new 108 ambulances in the state. Accident victims will be taken to government hospitals and also to private hospitals empanelled under the KASP-PMJAY health scheme, with other willing private hospitals to be added later.
How the system is meant to work
- Computer-based dispatch, GPS tracking and GIS mapping will help send the most suitable available ambulance.
- Details of the victim's condition and injuries will be sent digitally to the control centre, which will direct the crew to the most appropriate hospital.
- The receiving hospital will be alerted before the patient arrives.
Why it matters for ambulance owners and drivers
Private and NGO-run ambulances are slated to be brought into the network in the second phase, according to the report.
Read the full report at the source: The Hindu
This is a summary written by the Ambulance Owner Association. The facts are from the source named above.