102 Mahatari Express: a boon to expectant mothers

Central Chronicle News
Bilaspur, Sep 15: 102 Mahatari Express, or locally called ‘Jacha-Bacha’ Express, has turned a saviour to many expecting mothers and critical care patients, for its timely intervention in saving lives and catalyzing medical services on board en-route.
The ambulance service run by the State Government, to aid maternal and child care, has been deployed in the State since August 2013 and the recent COVID 19 pandemic, witnessed the ambulance service ferrying more than 1,000 corona patients across regions, thus assisting both the medical fraternity and the general public.
In Bilaspur region presently the services are being deployed by 11 ambulances, which excludes another 06 ambulances deployed in the newly formed Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district. In the year 2021, more than 99 thousand 386 pregnant mothers were carried from home to hospitals, and another 1 lakh 22 thousand were ferried back home, after safe institutional deliveries, thereby also beating infant and mother mortality rate.
More than 28945 infants were also carried in the ambulance after emergency and critical care needed. Another 72 thousand 306 pregnant women also took the services of Mahatari Express for both pre and post delivery care, and another 25 thousand 703, critical gestational cases were carried by the ambulance service to specialized hospitals. The service which ply’s to and forth patients in need, can be availed even in remote areas where commutation itself is a challenge. The staff well trained for on board services, have been giving first aid and medical intervention at the nick of time, thereby saving many lives en route to further medical care.