LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has approved launching of a ‘motorbike ambulance service’ in Lahore and some other major cities of the province.

An official privy to the information told Dawn that the chief minister had approved the launch of around 100 ‘motorbikes’ in the provincial capital while 50 each in Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan and Rawalpindi districts.

According to the initial information, the scheme is supposed to be launched to pick injured persons or to deal such emergencies in congested areas of cities where the access to ambulances remains an issue.

The official said the motorbikes would rush to narrow streets, small roads or poorly accessed localities.

He said the four-wheeler ambulances would follow the bikes up to main roads to receive the injured from bikers to shift them to hospitals concerned.

He said two trained rescuers would be dispatched with necessary first-aid equipment or tools to deal with the emergency on motorbike ambulances.

The official said the idea was derived from the UK, Turkey and Japan models.

He said the Rescue 1122 director-general had forwarded the proposal to the CM under the health reforms programme.

Published in Dawn November 20th, 2016