By Neeraj KumarÂ
Patna: In a major step aimed at improving emergency response during road accidents, private ambulances in Bihar will soon be integrated with the Dial 112 emergency number system.
The decision has been taken in view of the rising number of road accidents in the state. Recently, a review meeting was held involving senior departmental officials, during which Transport Department Secretary Raj Kumar assessed the road accident situation along with other officers.
During the meeting, it was pointed out that after Mizoram, Bihar ranks second in the country in terms of road accidents. One of the key reasons identified was the non-availability of ambulances on time. According to official data, Bihar has around 3,700 ambulances, including both government and private services. Of these, only about 2,000 are government-run.
Officials noted that when road accidents occur and emergency calls are made, ambulances often take a long time to reach the spot. While the standard response time is expected to be within 10 minutes, in many cases ambulances arrive after nearly 25 minutes, leading to the loss of precious lives.
Taking serious note of the situation, the Transport Department has initiated steps to implement the new system. The Health Department has also been directed to begin preparations to support the initiative.
The move is aimed at ensuring that accident victims receive timely medical assistance. As part of the plan, several trauma centres across Bihar have been identified, and 10 hospitals have been officially notified to provide emergency services under this framework.
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