KOCHI: With the global health care business growing at exponential rates, hospitals in India are feeling the pressure to prioritise their core competency in areas like managing their patients and providing excellent treatment. Most of the hospitals in India are not considering ambulance management and services as one of their core functions. Even in Kerala the situation is not different. In this context, Ziqitza Health Care Limited (ZHL) with its vast experience in life-support ambulance management has initiated the concept of outsourcing advanced life support ambulance services to hospitals and other institutions in Kerala. In the state, ZHL provides hospitals with custom designed ambulances and trained manpower which help the hospitals concentrate on their core competency of medical care activities. They are already running this fixed contract model at the Muthoot Hospitals in Kozhencherry, Pathanamthitta and SK Hospitals in Thiruvanthapuram.Ziqitza Health Care Ltd was set up in 2004 by five young professionals. Currently ZHL operates more than 800 life support ambulances across Mumbai, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan and Bihar. ZHL operates Emergency Medical Response Service (EMRS) under two models. Dial ‘1298’ model works on the principle of pro-subsidy, wherein the ambulances are owned by ZHL and are made self sustainable by charging the end user a fee.They offer free services to accident victims and patients of government hospitals. They also offer 24 hours availability. The Dial ‘108’ model is for emergency and works on the principle of Public Private Partnership with various state governments. Under this model service is provided in case of any medical emergency.Speaking about ZHL’s new venture Praveen Menezes, business head said, “Ziqitza today is operating 860 fully sophisticated advance life support ambulances across India and has served over 15 lakh people across the country.” Two types of ambulance services are provided. Advanced Life Support (ALS) Ambulance and Basic Life Support (BLS) Ambulance. ALS ambulance are equipped with all the modern equipment used in an ICU. The ambulance service comes with the assistance of doctors, drivers and helpers who are trained on first-aid and basic life support techniques, enabling them to stabilize the patient on board. It is the greater accessibility that makes ZHL different from other ambulance services. Currently ZHL is managed by a board of five directors with Swetha Mangal as the CEO.
Comments
0 comment