Ranchi: To improve emergency medical access in congested urban pockets and remote villages, Union minister of state for defence and Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth on Saturday inaugurated the ‘Namo Jeevan Rakshak’ bike ambulance service at Sadar Hospital.Eight bike ambulances will be deployed in the first phase, with efforts underway to make them operational before Durga Puja. Of these, seven will be stationed at Sadar Hospital and one at Nagar Modi Seva Sadan. Seth said, “Ranchi is the first city in the country to introduce the specialised bike ambulance service in the public domain.”Launched under the Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, the initiative is aimed at providing last-mile emergency care in areas where conventional ambulances struggle to reach. Seth said, “The bikes would help transport patients from narrow lanes, densely populated localities and remote villages, particularly during festivals when traffic congestion can delay emergency response.”He added that the service could prove especially useful in Jharkhand’s human-elephant conflict zones, where difficult terrain often hampers quick medical assistance to injured persons.Developed by DRDO, the bike ambulances are equipped with an oxygen cylinder, IV stand, multi-parameter patient monitor, head immobiliser, air splint box and first-aid kit. A specially designed patient seat with harness support, along with a dashboard-mounted monitor, beacon lights and siren, enables safe transport and basic medical monitoring en route to hospital.Officials said the service is intended to bridge the critical gap between a medical emergency and access to hospital care, particularly in areas with limited road connectivity or difficult access.
