[TusharK]

Hero MotoCorp has built a unique first-responder vehicle for Covid-19 relief. It's an Xtreme 200R with a sidecar bed. Two such vehicles have been handed over to Community Health Centres in Neemrana and Mundawar in Rajasthan.



The sidecar bed has been custom-built as an accessory for the Xtreme 200R. It is equipped with a full-stretcher with a foldable hood mounted on the side, essential medical equipment such as a detachable first-aid kit, oxygen cylinder, fire extinguisher and other safety features such as LED flasher lights, foldable beacon light, emergency wireless public announcement system and siren.

The vehicle has been designed and developed by engineers at Hero’s Centre of Innovation and Technology (CIT) in Jaipur and the New Model Centre (NMC), Gurgaon.

Hero MotoCorp is building more of these first-responder vehicles which it plans to hand over to health authorities in other parts of the country.

Link to Team-BHP News

[WorkingGuru]

Man this is just stupid beyond words. Why-o-Why would such a big corporation think this contraption is humane! With a shade from a cycle rickshaw !?

In their minds, a sleeping rack + a first aid kit means any vehicle is an ambulance!? There's nothing visible to even hold the patient in place. Does the Govt homologate these !? If yes, the ignorance is absolutely tragic. IMHO 12 year old children would know better.

[NaXal]

Originally Posted by WorkingGuru

Man this is just stupid beyond words. Why-o-Why would such a big corporation think this contraption is humane! With a shade from a cycle rickshaw !?

You may be right on your point but sir unfortunately ground realities of India is vastly different from city to suburbs and suburbs to rural and further interior.

This stupid idea won Padma Shri award for Mr. Karimul Haque.

Real world super hero Ambulance Dada for lakhs of people in northern part of bengal.

Read his story, you may understand how important these make shift vehicles are.

Thanks.

[v12]

One thing to note here is that these make shift and first responder vehicles will not transport the patient to the hospital. In Mumbai and other cities, especially in slum areas where the roads are very narrow, it's very difficult for an ambulance (even an Omni) to enter. In such cases, these first responder vehicles will come in use to transport the patient upto the ambulance.

[WorkingGuru]

Originally Posted by NaXal

...This stupid idea won Padma Shri award for Mr. Karimul Haque.

Real world super hero Ambulance Dada for lakhs of people in northern part of Bengal...

That is acceptable as its a single persons personal effort. When a big corporation with all its resources does this kind of a job, the shortcomings must be addressed sensibly.

Say for example, the person should be safely belted when in that sleeping position.

Or, say the shade covering the face could be made foldable such that it covers a substantial portion of the person while being hinged at the same spot, or with a simple sliding tambour panel. It barely costs much, people even have those in the kitchen cabinets.

P.S. : My disgust & contempt was towards the seemingly poor engineering execution by an MNC, for a novel idea.

[lightning535]

And there goes the patient flying on the road, when the Hero-responder has to brake hard because of another hero cutting in front of him.

We do understand that nothing is better, but this? This is not safe for even the person who could grab the rails with a strong grip, let alone the patient who would be lying down on the bed. Do they expect the Responder Rider to hold the patient down? Tie the patient down with belts etc. What have I started thinking now?

This cannot be even close to an ambulance. This is more dangerous than the actual ailment the patient might be suffering from.

[Thilak29]

Is this any good for curvy roads? Wonder if a sick person can clutch on to anything while rider is zooming in hurry to get the person into a care facility. So the choice is that person on bed has is between Corona and this dreadful jugaad!

If Hero or any 2W companies want to help, they should convert their bikes or scooters into something useful courier boys can use, I pity them struggling with oversized bags and raincoats.

[darkLightning]

Originally Posted by WorkingGuru

Say for example, the person should be safely belted when in that sleeping position.

Or, say the shade covering the face could be made foldable.

Originally Posted by lightning535

And there goes the patient flying on the road

Originally Posted by Thilak29

Wonder if a sick person can clutch on to anything

Did you guys notice the seat belt in center of bed ? I think that solves the most basic worry.

And as for the folding cover please see again the feature list

It is equipped with a full-stretcher with a foldable hood mounted on the side, essential medical equipment such as a detachable first-aid kit, oxygen cylinder, fire extinguisher and other safety features such as LED flasher lights, foldable beacon light, emergency wireless public announcement system and siren.

And as far as I understood Hero is not asking people to use it, Hero is going to provide it to Health authorities across the country.

Before bashing the idea just see the benefits from overall point of view

1. Xtreme 200R is BS4 so this will definitely help in reducing BS4 inventory of Hero even by a smallest margin.
2. Do we always give space to ambulance in India ? No we don't and if you have seen auto rickshaws ply on the road you will understand why this vehicle is way more maneuverable.
3. This is for community health centers not for the privileged people who can afford their own vehicles or private ambulances. We have had enough share of stories all over India of people carrying their ailing kin on their shoulders, this contraption as people are calling it is to address that issue.
4. For those who are questioning the engineering or the vehicle coming from a manufacturer please let me know if you have never ridden above legal speed limits in India.

Don't want to be rude here but it is this mindset of people which contempt more than any corporate strategy.

Originally Posted by Thilak29

If Hero or any 2W companies want to help, they should convert their bikes or scooters into something useful courier boys can use, i pity them struggling with oversized bags and rain coats.

Very noble idea sir, but unfortunately this is not in control of any manufacturer, there are enough official accessories available to solve this issue, the problem is with these delivery services who don't want to spend a single penny more than absolute requirement. It should be the duty of delivery service to provide all gear to it's employees.

Again I apologize if it hurt anyone but we Indians do have a habit of bashing without understanding.

[neil.jericho]

The old saying, a picture is worth a 1000 words, is so appropriate for this creation from Hero. Just my thoughts

• It is going to be wider than an Omni given the dimensions of the
  - bike
  - bed
  - gap between the above two
  and hence it isnt going to fit into any narrow roads or gullies where an Omni wont fit.
• A siren and an emergency public announcement system being used when the patient is exposed to the elements and these two things, would actually make the patient's condition worse!
• Similarly, a flashing beacon is going to really annoy the patient!
• The fact that Hero believes that a single strap is supposed to keep the patient locked in, baffles me. The patient is going to end up falling off this contraption and rolling onto the road.

I really do hope that health departments dont succumb to the PR pressure from their bosses and the corporates to put this into use on public roads.

That said, I do have a use case for this sidecar bed. Whenever the Indian Super League (ISL) starts, Hero can make full use of the sidecar to transport injured football players off the field and into the training rooms No need to keep trainers and team staff on standby to do the job.

P.S - Hero engineers would do well to see how Liverpool player Mo Sallah is tied down by 4 straps just to be lifted off a football field!

[KPR]

I love this idea. It's nothing new but why this idea was dropped by several manufacturers I don't know. I'm seeing this in the world of increasing bike touring with powerful engines. For bike tourers similar one can be designed with a decent back rest seat so that the pillion has the choice of comfortable alternate seating to the already available pillion seat. I see this option as to stretch legs and breaking monotony in long rides.

[NaXal]

It's not safe, period.

It's better to use Omni

This is simply ridiculous

Each of these points are absolutely right. But that jugad ambulance is better than no ambulance.

Every single day, there are countless stories we miss reading as they find no importance in our life about some helpless man or woman using a "thela" or walking unbelievable long distance to get their loved one to a hospital.

Rs. 300/- for an oil change (3000kms easy)
40/45 kmpl fuel economy (Rs. 2 / km max)

That's all it takes to run these machines.

And it's nothing new, Bajaj made one of such prototype for Ambulance Dada way back in 2015/2016.

https://youtu.be/HPMi42iAJeA

While seating in our privileged life we discuss why this thing shouldn't exist, people like Ambulance Dada is making use of this life changing tool to save countless life.

Yes we should always work towards a better future but we must not turn our eyes away from the hard truth of our country & stop acting accordingly.

Unfortunate it is, but it's better than no ambulance.

Sorry if I am hurting someone's sentiment with my counter argument. Please do forgive me for that.

Thanks.

[charanreddy]

Just because its Hero sponsoring the so called ambulance, why should they limit to Hero Two Wheelers. Seems more corporate PR at play rather than patients well being.

Take a look at this exercise from AP State.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india...JOk5iBLJL.html


Without going into the politics of it, couldn't the companies sponsor a few of these vehicles ? They can use it to advertise their brand if needed.


We don't need lakhs of vehicles, we need a sizable number of vehicles located strategically across the country to cater to the population needs..

[libranof1987]

A man doing this in a village/town as an improvisation to overcome lack of infrastructure or availability of ambulances is commendable.

The world's largest two-wheeler manufacturer doing so, is a cruel, shameful joke. Last I checked, we're in 2020. The very least Hero could have done, if they're so hell bent on CSR for Covid, is just donate actual, safe, built-for-purpose ambulances.

[whitewing]

It may be a hack, but in an emergency situation, given the option of taking a ride in this, than wait for an unknown amount of time better equipped ambulance to arrive, I would choose this trolley bike[I keep reading reports of COVID patients having to wait for hours for an ambulance - this is not to suggest to take COVID patients in this]

Accepted, this improvised trolley, may break some backs and heads, but it has the potential to save lives.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by whitewing

Accepted, this improvised trolley, may break some backs and heads, but it has the potential to save lives.

I hope you can see the irony in your statement. I think as citizen's we should demand better ambulances from the government, pandemic or no pandemic. Jugad is fine but for a vulnerable patient in a medical emergency, this is an absolute joke.