https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Former DC Launches Bike Ambulance, Spreads ‘Right To Health’ Awareness

If an ambulance finds it difficult to enter a village, use bike ambulance instead. This is one of the novel methods introduced by the senior civil servant of Chattisgarh, drawing applause from all around.
bike ambulance
Indian Masterminds Stories

The healthcare system and access to basic medical infrastructure lack behind in some rural parts of India, where people avoid going to hospitals due to big medical bills and lack of timely transportation. You must have heard that in many rural places, pregnant ladies avoid going to hospitals at the time of delivery; instead they seek help of local midwives. This leads to higher risk to the health of both mother and the child.

Likewise, some districts in Chhattisgarh were facing similar problems that were not getting addressed. Due to the geographical constraints, the four-wheeler ambulances couldn’t reach the patient on time which led to frequent deaths. Therefore, to fulfill the basic medical amenities of the needful, former District Collector Awanish Sharan formulated the initiative of bike ambulances in the Balrampur district in 2018, which was later adopted by many other districts including Kawardha.

FORMULATING BIKE AMBULANCES INITIATIVE AS DISTRICT COLLECTOR

Awanish Sharan who is currently serving as Director Technical Education, Employment and Training with an additional charge of CEO, Skill Development, Chhattisgarh smartly adopted this initiative as it was already being used by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to rescue sick and injured people in Maoist-affected region of Bastar.

If an ambulance finds it difficult to enter a village, use bike ambulance instead. This is one of the novel methods introduced by the senior civil servant of Chhattisgarh, drawing applause from all around.
Awanish Sharan taking stock of the Sangi Express operation

“Bike ambulances used to operate with a side-car where the Sangi Express driver and ASHA worker used to pick up the patients from their doorstep, with all the first-aid equipment and supplies and used to drop them to the nearest clinic. After the treatment, the same bike ambulance would also drop the patients back to homes”, said Mr. Sharan while speaking with Indian Masterminds.

Patients of Daldali village using Sangi Express

For every village, a bike ambulance was allotted. People used to contact the PHC, the CHC in-charge (Community Health Centre), or the Sangi Express driver on the particular number allotted to the village. The number was widely shared by the local `panchayats’ to each and every household and sessions regarding the promotion of bike ambulances were conducted.

OPERATION AND MOTIVE OF SANGI EXPRESS

As the four-wheeler ambulances took a huge amount of time to reach the beneficiary, people used to book private vehicles to reach the nearby hospital or clinic. This often turned out to be very costly to most people. However, the bike ambulance acted as a perfect substitute, as it took very little time to reach the doorstep of the patient and is very cost-effective as it is free of cost.

Sangi Express being used by the tribals

“Firstly, the main motive of the bike ambulances was to decrease maternal/infant/child mortalities by transporting those in need of treatment within the crucial hours. Secondly, it provided much needed commutation facility to accident victims and others suffering from trauma with Emergency Response Service. Lastly, it really helped those who resided in far flung areas, as access to immediate medical service reduced death rate”, said Awanish Saran.

He also added, “The service is also functional during the COVID-19 pandemic and is helping the masses.”

SPREADING HIS PERSONAL NUMBER TO SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS

Awanish Saran not only changed the healthcare system of these tribal areas, but he also went to the grassroots to provide help to the people personally. In one such instance, he provided his personal number in all the schools, colleges, and hospitals of the district and asked them to call him directly whenever they needed help.

IAS officer Awanish Sharan

“As a Collector of the district it was my moral responsibility to provide them my contact number. And this did help a lot of students in getting connected and I could solve many problems by surprise inspections of schools which helped in better functioning of schools. I received many calls during the day and was able to help a lot of people including school children”, he told Indian Masterminds.

He also added, “Me providing the personal number to the public helped a lot of people during this COVID 19 pandemic, as many residents of my district who were stuck in other states were able to get a lot of help in terms of essential products (ration) and money.” This established direct contact with the public and made him more accessible to the people of his district. However, the Sangi Express initiative not only provided better health facilities to these tribal areas but also spread awareness about the ‘Right to Health’ and the ease of medical facilities to the women of that area.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Indian Forest Services IFS officer
From Forests to Boardrooms: IFS Arun Prasad Resigns from Chhattisgarh Cadre, Amid Buzz of Corporate Shift - Know More About Him
GAIL India
GAIL Achieves Major Infrastructure Milestone: Dabhol LNG Terminal Now an All-Weather Port
coal-India limited
Coal India Signs MoU with Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation to Boost Rail Infrastructure - Details Inside
International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS)
Historic First: IAS Officer V. Srinivas Elected President of IIAS, Defeats Austria’s Nominee in Landmark Vote - Know More About It
UPSC Latest IAS IPS IFS
Puja Khedkar Impact: UPSC’s New Aadhaar-Enabled Portal Sees Overwhelming Response, 92% Applicants Opt for Biometric Authentication
Odisha govt_resized
Odisha: 1 IPS & 1 OPS Officer Transferred, 2 Districts Get New SP, Manoj Kumar Rout Made SP, Bhadrak
Karnataka-govt-announces-state-wide-close-down-for-14-days
RCB Felicitation Stampede Fallout: 5 Senior Officers Suspended, IPS Seemanth Singh Appointed New Bengaluru Police Commissioner
NALCO
NALCO Refutes Reports of Capex Deferral, Confirms Rs 30,000 Crore Smelter Expansion is on Track - Know the Matter
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Monika Singh
Monika Singh’s Life Beyond the Bureaucracy | Video Interview 
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
Modernising Governance: A Digital Transformation in Gangtok
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Abhishek Singh's SECRET: Vipassana, Anthropology & Smart Answer Writing | Video Interview 
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Divyanshu Pal Nagar IFS
5 Years, 5 Mains, 4 Interviews: How Divyanshu Pal Nagar Stumbled in CSE, Triumphed in IFS - A Lesson for Every Aspirant
Divyanshu Pal Nagar’s inspiring five-year UPSC journey shows how perseverance, disciplined self-study,...
ANUBHAV SINGH UPSC IFS 2024
9 Years, 8 Attempts, 7 Failures: How Anubhav Singh Cracked UPSC IFS 2024 with AIR 3 Against All Odds | Exclusive
Anubhav Singh’s inspiring journey to UPSC IFS Rank 3 showcases relentless perseverance, strategic preparation,...
Jogender Sihag
“I Cleared UPSC, But My Grandfather isn’t Here to Hear it,” Jogender Sihag, AIR 521, UPSC CSE 2024
"Life is short; make the most of it, whether in civil service or any other field. Just have a clear vision...
Social Media
Tiger jump Sundarban
Stunning Viral Video Shows Royal Bengal Tiger Making Spectacular 30-Foot Leap Across River in Sunderbans - See It Here
Retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda shared the clip online, which quickly went...
shubham kumar ias marriage
IAS Topper Weds BPSC Topper: Shubham Kumar Marries IRS Officer Priyangi Mehta in Patna; Wedding Video Goes Viral
Topper Couple Alert: Shubham Kumar, Priyangi Mehta’s Wedding Grabs Spotlight in Bihar
parveen kaswan elephant
Elephant Outsmarts Electric Fence! IFS Parveen Kaswan Shares Incredible Video!
In the now-viral 51-second clip, the intelligent giant approaches a wooden pole supporting high-voltage...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Indian Forest Services IFS officer
From Forests to Boardrooms: IFS Arun Prasad Resigns from Chhattisgarh Cadre, Amid Buzz of Corporate Shift - Know More About Him
GAIL India
GAIL Achieves Major Infrastructure Milestone: Dabhol LNG Terminal Now an All-Weather Port
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Monika Singh
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
IMG-20250523-WA0036
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT