Ahmedabad, 23 July, 2014

The government spends Rs. 12 lakh to purchase each basic 108 ambulance van, while for each advance support system equipped van it spends Rs. 20 lakh.

This detail was shared by minister of state for health Shankarbhai Chaudhary in assembly.

In reply to questions raised by MLAs, the minister said the government of India approved grant of Rs. 1 crore in last two years for 108 ambulance services under the National Rural Health Mission. He said the state government spent Rs. 144 crore for the same. He said a BLS(Basic Life Support) 108 ambulance van costs Rs. 12 lakh while ALS(Advanced Life Support) van is purchased at a cost of Rs. 20 lakh. While BLS has basic facilities, the ALS vans are equipped with state-of-the-art equipments including the equipments for saliva sucking, shock for heart, oxygen, pulse checking machine etc.

Highlights of other replies given by minister of state for health are:

-Rs. 50 lakh Primary Health Centre(PHC) will be built in Tukwada in Kaprada taluka of tribal south Gujarat. At present a sub-center has been made functional in which 1752 patients are given outdoor treatment.

-Under Chiranjivi scheme, the state government gives Rs. 3800 for each delievery of baby in private hospital. In Jamnagar city and district Rs. 80.91 lakh are paid under this scheme in last two years covering total 2586 cases.

– The state government has taken actions against 295 persons under PNDT act which prohibits illegal sex determination.

-The state government will build Rs. 10 crore bridge on Vedghada-Dabhava road in Dhanpur taluka of Dahod district which shall benefit around 11,000 people living in nearby villages. Tenders are issued in February 2014 for this 160 meter long bridge, and work orders will be issued soon.

-The state government sends mobile kiosk units to villages to register Below Poverty Line(BPL) beneficiaries to cover them under central government run National Health Insurance Scheme. BPL families, laborers, railway coolies, MGNREGA laborers etc are covered under this insurance scheme under which indoor patient is given treatment upto Rs. 31,000 for free. Four insurance companies are associated with this scheme.