In a decade, 32,000 babies born in ‘108 ambulance’ across state

Officials have attributed the increasing number of delivery in ambulances to the preparedness of the paramedics and the medical facilities available. The State Health Department has been operating 930 ambulances, including 66 neonatal ones, across Tamil Nadu. 

An official of GVK-EMRI 108 ambulance services said, “So far, we have helped 32,912 antenatal mothers deliver since 2008. 

Moreover, such ambulances have sterile delivery facilities and necessary medical equipment with stretchers, where such mothers can lie in lateral positions before they deliver of their babies.” 

The paramedics would continuously observe dilation of mothers and if dilation reaches a peak, the paramedics would ask pilot of the ambulance to stop the vehicle before the patient tries to push the baby out, the official said. He added that in order to ease deliveries, ambulances are being fitted with warmer light, suction and knife. 

“Imagine that when the Tamil Nadu Health System Project (TNHSP) operated such ambulance in minimum numbers in September 2008, there was not much awareness on the delivery cases in ambulances. However, awareness on 108 ambulance services has reached every nook and corner nowadays and it bears testimony to the fact that the number of delivery in ambulances has reached such a high number since then,” said another official. 

Speaking to DTNext, J Radhakrishnan, state health secretary, said, “The state is always striving hard for giving importance to the health sector and has introduced many pioneering schemes for the welfare of people from all walks. This is one of them.”