The Kanivu 108 ambulances have made 5.02 lakh trips in the State till now, Minister for Health Veena George has said.
Kanivu 108 is a free emergency ambulance service that is part of the State government’s comprehensive trauma care project.
The Kanivu 108 ambulances and staff have been in the forefront of the government’s COVID-19 control activities since the start of the first wave of the pandemic. The ambulances have made 3.44 lakh COVID-related trips alone so far.
A woman pilot was appointed in an 108 ambulance for the first time in connection with International Women’s Day. Steps were under way to appoint women ambulance pilots in all districts, the Minister said.
Of the total emergency trips made by the Kanivu 108 ambulances, the maximum have been for cardiac treatments—27,908. Next are the trips made to shift those who sustained injuries in road traffic accidents—24,443. Trips were also made for other trauma (20,788); breathing problems (16,272); abdominal pain (13,582); stroke (8,616); convulsions (fits) (5,783); pregnancy-related emergencies (5,733); treatment for poisoning (5,355); fever (3,806); diabetes-related issues (3,212); Nipah-related trips (79); and other emergencies (22,583) in the past 30 months.
Fifty-three women were also delivered of children by the Kanivu ambulance staff. The maximum number of trips made by Kanivu 108 were in Thiruvananthapuram district—69,974. The least was in Idukki—15,002. Trips made in Kollam numbered 35,814; Pathanamthitta 24,534; Alappuzha 40,039; Kottayam 32,758; Ernakulam 37,829; Thrissur 38,929; Palakkad 52,404; Malappuram 44,365; Kozhikode 37,037; Wayanad 18,920; Kannur 33,036; and Kasaragod 21,876.
