Telangana government has announced the launch of a statewide neonatal ambulance service

The Telangana government has announced the beginning of a statewide neonatal ambulance service as part of an effort to reach a single-digit infant mortality rate (IMR). This initiative strives to make sure that preterm and ill children are transported quickly and safely. Modern transportable critical care incubators will be available in newborn ambulances. These incubators will have cutting-edge equipment like mechanical ventilators, infusion pumps, and physiological monitoring that are all designed to function flawlessly in a transportable setting.

A top health official revealed to that the government intends to put 33 neonatal ambulances—one for each district—on the road. The ambitious initiative has a budget of around 8.07 crore each year and is scheduled to commence on August 15. Following a tendering procedure, GVK Emergency Management Research Institute (EMRI) has been given the duty of providing and managing the ambulances.

The neonatal ambulances are also equipped with ventilators, two d-type cylinders with regulators, flow metres, humidifiers, monitors with pulse oximeters, long-lasting syringe pumps, and suction equipment. Each ambulance will have a specialised newborn emergency medical technician (EMT) on board to guarantee the best treatment and assistance during the ride. According to a contract between the government and EMRI, these EMTs will spend 45 days through intensive training.

Over time, Telangana has significantly decreased infant death rates. The State's Neonatal Mortality Rate fell from 25 in 2014 to 15 in 2022, which is lower than the 20 average for the entire country. Furthermore, while the national average remains at 32, the death rate for children under the age of five decreased from 41 in 2014 to 23 in 2022. The State hopes to further reduce death rates through the deployment of newborn ambulances, in line with the Self Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). By 2030, the SDG objective aims to eliminate all infant and under-five fatalities that might have been avoided. Countries are asked to target a death rate for children under five of no more than 25 per 1,000 live births and a newborn mortality rate of no more than 12 per 1,000 live births.