KSRTC to launch ‘ICU on Wheels’ after oxygen buses

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is all set to launch “ICU on Wheels” by Wednesday after introducing two oxygen buses. The “ICU on Wheels” will be well-equipped and efficient, consisting of ventilators, ECG and other equipment.

According to KSRTC officials, for the people residing in rural areas, where the distance to a hospital would be almost an hour or more, such vehicles are an important facility.

Shivayogi Kalasad, Managing Director, KSRTC, stated the bus will be acting as a “step-down” ICU for helping the patients in the golden hour. Kalasad said, “Each bus will accommodate six patients. We will have four ventilators, ECG and other equipment that are required during an emergency.”

All of the six beds will have individual oxygen supply with separate cylinders. A backup will be provided in the vehicle having two auxiliary oxygen cylinders and a concentrator. KSRTC has collaborated with a private organization for providing well-trained medical personnel.

KSRTC may have spent Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh for converting the bus into an ICY facility according to the facilities provided by it, said Kalasad.

He said, “It is still very economical because most of the work on conversion and installation happens within our workshop. But we will require help from established hospitals to accomplish the dream of deploying one ICU bus in each district.”

A similar bus was launched by the corporation in 2018 to provide relief and assistance to flood victims in Kerala. The managing director stated the very first bus will play the role as a first and last-mile emergency ICU vehicle facilitating its Jayanagar hospital.

He said, “We are working on giving a facelift to our hospital in Jayanagar. We want to enhance its bed capacity from 40 to 60 and make all of them oxygenated beds. We have reached out to Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya seeking further help, especially medical personnel.”

He further said, “We will give priority to employees in need of such facility. But the bus will welcome all,” adding that the vehicle will be catering to both the employees of the corporation and the general public.

On Monday, KSRTC assigned two “Oxygen on Wheels” buses in Chikkaballapur and Anekal.

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