Proving to be a boon, the recently started 108 Bike Ambulance service has achieved a milestone of successfully serving 100 emergencies in Shimla city.

Also called First Responder Bikes (FRB) these ambulances were launched by the government on 22 April with the mission of saving lives and incorporating the objective of providing prompt health services to every citizen of the state in case of emergency.

Himachal Pradesh is the first state in the entire North India to start FRB service which provides service at points which are inaccessible by four wheeler ambulance services.

An official spokesperson said here on Sunday that the 108 First Responder Bike Ambulance service with a fleet of 2 Bike Ambulances operated in Shimla City with base location at Ridge has achieved this milestone within a short time period of 20 days at an average of close to 5 Emergencies served daily.The service can be availed by dialing 108.

These ambulances help reduce the response time by close to 33 percent which further results in positive outcomes of reduced mortality and morbidity.

Since its inception, the highest number of cases reported was of Acute Abdomen at 24 percent followed by Non Vehicular Trauma at 14 percent and Cardiac and fainting both at 9 percent.

He said that these Bikes Ambulances are equipped with primary pre hospital care facilities such as medicines, medical consumables and medical equipments along with oxygen required for stabilization of patients.

The main objective of Bikes ambulances service is to gain access in areas inaccessible to four wheeler ambulances and provide primary pre hospital care to the patient, he added.

These Bike Ambulances will aid to reduce the response time during the peak tourist season and during traffic jams, drawing an analogy from the bike ambulances operating in other states, he said, adding that a well placed network of Bike Ambulances has been created.

Health Minister Vipin Singh Parmar informed that 108 NAS has a big network of 198 ambulances in the state serving the humanity in distress. Since its inception more than 10.50 lakh emergency calls have been recorded so far and giving relief to almost equal number. This service has proved life savior in critical situation especially pregnant women in labour pain.

Health Minister said that owing to tough topography of the state Bike Ambulance service was introduced for quick service to persons in state of medical emergency.

It is pertinent to mention that Bike Ambulance Service has been supplementing the services of 108 National Ambulance Service (NAS) to ferry patients from inaccessible points to the main ambulance so that precious life could be saved.