Kerala to link government and private ambulances under Golden Goal project
The new Health Department initiative aims to improve survival rates for road accident victims by ensuring timely medical treatment.
The Kerala Health Department will bring government and private ambulances into a single emergency response network through a new project called ‘Golden Goal’, according to The Hindu reported on Monday.
Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said the initiative aims to help road accident victims reach suitable hospitals without delay to improve survival rates based on injury severity.
The project will first be piloted in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha districts.
In the first phase, the existing Integrated Command and Control Centre will expand to coordinate 108 ambulances along with those from the Directorate of Health Services, the Medical Education department and other government institutions.
The second phase will include ambulances operated by non-governmental organisations and private providers.
The system will use GPS tracking, GIS mapping and a computer-based dispatch system to send the most suitable ambulance to an accident site.
Victims will be transported to government hospitals or private hospitals empanelled under the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (KASP-PMJAY).
Information regarding a victim's vital signs and injuries will be sent digitally to the command centre and the receiving hospital to allow trauma teams to prepare in advance.