■ In total, 731 ambulances will now be available for emergency services

■ A trained lab technician will also be present in every 104 mobile unit to conduct the tests

■ The new tender, this cost will rise to Rs.31 crore per month, a modest 11% increase

Metro India News | AMARAVATI

If an individual cannot go to a clinic, there is no need to worry. The clinic will roll into your backyard. The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to revamp the 104 and 108 emergency services and set to introduce 47 types of diagnostic tests through 104 mobile units, allowing people to undergo health check-ups at their doorstep.

The new service provider, a consortium led by M/s Bhavya Health Services Private Limited in partnership with M/s SRIT India Private Limited, has been awarded the contract. The government plans to use the data from these tests to create electronic health records (EHR) for citizens, facilitating better assessment and management of diseases in the state.

Currently, 104 ambulance services offer only rapid test kits for detecting diabetes and blood pressure issues. The new system will expand this by providing 47 detailed diagnostic tests, including 20 general health tests, such as blood glucose levels, complete blood picture, kidney function tests, liver function tests, lipid profile, urine analysis, and arterial blood gas analysis along with 27 disease-specific tests to detect various medical conditions.

The service provider has agreed to conduct the 20 basic tests for Rs.195 per person, with additional tests available at competitive rates. Each 104 mobile unit is expected to serve around 35 individuals per day. Before the full-scale rollout, the state government is going to conduct a pilot project to validate the reliability of the mobile medical unit data. Each vehicle will be equipped with modern diagnostic tools, including Semi-automatic biochemistry analyzers, 3-part CBC machines, Microscopes and Incubators. A trained lab technician will also be present in every 104 mobile unit to conduct the tests.

The state government currently spends Rs 28 crore per month to maintain 108 and 104 emergency services, including the Emergency Response Centre (ERC). Under the new tender, this cost will rise to Rs.31 crore per month, a modest 11% increase. The key reason for this cost escalation is the procurement of 190 new 108 ambulances by the new service provider. In total, 731 ambulances will now be available for emergency services.