Ramban, Oct 19: In a move aimed at bolstering emergency healthcare services in remote areas, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Sunday flagged off an Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance for the District Hospital (DH) Ramban.
The ambulance, valued at Rs 80 lakh, has been funded through the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme.
The initiative comes in response to the recent natural calamities in the region, which exposed the limitations of existing medical response infrastructure in hilly and hard-to-reach areas. The ambulance is equipped with critical care facilities such as a ventilator, defibrillator, cardiac monitor, suction unit, and oxygen supply, enabling it to provide life-saving support during patient transport.
Dr Jitendra, who represents the Udhampur-Kathua-Doda parliamentary constituency, stated during the ceremony that the deployment of the ALS ambulance would address urgent healthcare needs in Ramban and surrounding regions.
“This vehicle will serve as a mobile critical care unit, especially valuable in times of emergencies like landslides, accidents, or natural disasters,” he said.
Local health officials expressed optimism about the addition to the district’s healthcare infrastructure, noting that the ALS ambulance would enhance the capacity of the District Hospital and improve access to emergency care in outlying villages.
The ambulance will be manned by trained paramedical staff to ensure professional care enroute to medical facilities.
“This development aligns with broader efforts by the central government to improve healthcare delivery in rural and mountainous parts of Jammu and Kashmir,” they stated.
However, some residents and observers stress the need for parallel investments in road connectivity and staffing at peripheral health centres to ensure the ambulance’s effectiveness.
