Bangalore gets a "first responder" bike ambulance service

In India, a lack of road discipline and traffic congestion often results in ambulances facing severely delayed response times. This is where motorbikes come into the fray and Bangalore has just received a "first responder" bike ambulance service. The riders of these motorcycles will be a team of around 40 trained paramedics and will form a first response team that caters to accident victims until a four wheeled ambulance can arrive to transport the person in need if required.

The motorcycles will be added under the “platinum ten minutes” trauma care initiative that looks to increase the speed of preliminary medical care. The bike chosen for the task is the Bajaj Avenger 220 DTS-i. The force will consist of 30 such ambulances with 21 being initially deployed at strategic locations in the city. There will be one each in the districts of Mysuru, Mangaluru, Kalaburgi, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Davangere, Tumkuru, Vijayapura and Shivamogga.

The project is being executed with the GVK EMRI emergency service that runs the 108 four-wheeler ambulance service. The ambulances will be equipped with medical items such as a stethoscope, glucometer, pulse oximeter, nebulizer and a laryngoscope, along with a host of basic medication. The cost per bike is estimated to be around Rs. 2 Lakh.

Via: News Karnataka