Bhubaneswar: Health and family welfare minister Pratap Jena on Thursday flagged off 26 new ‘108’ ambulances at Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) near AG Square here.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister said, “The new ambulances will cater to the healthcare needs of people, especially in tribal-dominated areas of the state. To strengthen the ambulance services, the government has sanctioned as many as 92 ambulances from its own funds on December 23 last year. Of those, 24 were flagged off by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik the same day and 26 dedicated to the service of people today. The remaining 42 ambulances will soon be added to the fleet of ‘108’ ambulances in the near future.”
The ‘108’ ambulance service was launched in the state in 2013. A total of 444 ambulances have been providing emergency healthcare services to people in all 30 districts since then. More than 35 lakh people have so far benefited by the introduction of ‘108’ ambulance service in the state, Jena added.
