State to integrate government, private ambulances under ‘Golden Goal’ project

Keralam will integrate government and private ambulances into a coordinated emergency response network to ensure that road accident victims reach appropriate hospitals without delay, under a new initiative of the Health department, named ‘Golden Goal’. The project aims to improve survival of accident victims by ensuring that they receive timely treatment based on the nature and severity of their injuries, Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said here on Monday. The initiative will initially be piloted in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha districts.

In the first phase, the existing Integrated Command and Control Centre for emergency ambulance services will be expanded to coordinate 108 ambulances as well as those operated by the Directorate of Health Services, the Medical Education department and other government institutions. Private ambulances and those operated by non-governmental organisations will be brought into the network in the second phase.

The initiative follows the rollout of 335 new 108 ambulances in the State and is intended to strengthen emergency medical care, particularly during the crucial first hour after an accident. The aim is to reduce treatment delays, coordinate emergency services and ease the financial burden on families

Under the proposed system, accident victims will be transported not only to government hospitals but also to private hospitals empanelled under the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (KASP-PMJAY). The network will subsequently be expanded to include other private hospitals which are willing to join hand with the government in this initiative.

A computer-based dispatch system, GPS tracking and geographic information system (GIS) mapping will help identify and send the most suitable available ambulance to the accident site quickly. Information on the victim’s condition, vital signs and injuries will be transmitted digitally from the accident site to the ambulance and then to the command and control centre. Based on the information received, ambulance personnel will be directed to take the patient to the most appropriate hospital.

The receiving hospital will also be alerted before the patient arrives, enabling doctors, trauma care teams, surgical departments and blood banks to make the necessary preparations in advance. The system is expected to reduce delays in initiating care, thus improving the survival of accident victims.

The Health Department will coordinate with the police, Motor Vehicles department, Fire and Rescue Services, local self-government institutions, the State Disaster Management Authority and private hospitals in this initiative.

The project also envisages public awareness campaigns to encourage people to call the 108 emergency number promptly, provide accurate information about accident sites and handle injured victims safely. Citizens responders, ambulance personnel, call centre staff, hospital trauma care teams, police officers and Fire and Rescue Services personnel will be honoured under the new initiative.