108 in Jajpur, Odisha now

Now people in Jajpur district can avail 108 Ambulances in any medical emergency, on 27 May Dial 108 in Emergency was launched in Jajpur by the Honorable Chief Minister Shri Navin Patnaik. Shri Navin Patnaik flagged off 14 Ambulances, the launch event was attended by government officials, media fraternity and local people who really appreciated that such service is now available in their district.

Mega CPR & First Aid Workshop

Over 500 ZHL employees were trained on First Aid and CPR on 22nd May, this workshop was organized in association with AMR. The workshop was organized to train all the employees across India on how to handle various medical emergencies and the knowledge which will be useful in future to save lives. 

During Emergency/Medical Scenario does gender play an important role?

Think Men and Women are the same? Think about it again! Though as a society we are striving towards an equal stature, Men and Women respond differently to medication & treatments due to their different genetic makeup.

Doctors and researchers increasingly understand that there can be striking variations in the way men and women respond to drugs, many of which are tested almost exclusively on males. Early this year, for instance, the Food and Drug Administration announced that it was cutting in half the prescribed for women, who remained drowsy for longer than men after taking the drug.

For example, men metabolize caffeine more quickly, while women metabolize certain antibiotics and anxiety medications more quickly. In some cases, drugs work less effectively depending on sex; women are less responsive to anesthesia and ibuprofen for instance. In other cases, women are at more risk for adverse — even lethal — side effects.

In such a scenario it becomes imperative to have a core team of members representing both genders identifying issues related both to the gene structure and the society weaved around them

With this thought in mind, we at Ziqitza Health care stressed upon an equal representation in our workforce and apart from better providing better medical care it gave us some deep insights:

v  First-hand knowledge of gender differences and inequalities in everyday life.

v  Social Values - Knowledge of how race, class, gender,  and age interact to increase Women’s vulnerability at grassroot level

v  Potentially greater access to local knowledge of grassroots groups

v  Non traditional sets of skills

v  The healing skills which come naturally to them

So, for us at Ziqitza Health Care Limited, it turned out equality among Men and Women helped offset the differences between them  for a healthier tomorrow 

Infant Mortality Rate- A problem that hounds nation

According to a study by an international non-government organisation, Over 400,000 newborns in India die within the first 24 hours of their birth every year - The highest anywhere in the world.

According to the NGO, despite a decade of rapid economic growth, India’s record on child mortality at 72 per 1,000 live births is worse than that of neighbouring Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world.

Two million children under five years of age die—one every 15 seconds—each year in India, also the highest anywhere in the world, it said. Of these more than half die in the first month of their birth. 

The most disturbing element about this development indicator is that low-cost interventions could reduce neonatal mortality by up to 70 per cent by providing basic medical care, including well-trained frontline health workers and appropriate facilities for childbirth.

But all is not lost. In fact, many to be mothers are becoming pro-active to get regular health checkups done and ensure the good health of the baby

Take the example of Prema Sagar, taking the initiative to go the mobile clinic to ensure her baby’s growth is normal.

“I want my child to be born healthy and to have a normal delivery. It’s my first pregnancy, and I want my child to be born in a hospital,” she said.

Small steps can ensure that we can collectively tackle the problem of infant mortality in the country:

1. 1    Keep the environment clean
2.      Keep ambulance and emergency numbers handy. 
3. 3 You can use the Ambulance number 1298 in casyou need any assistance in Mumbai, Kerala, Bihar, Odisha and Punjab
4. 4    Ensure that you bring in the baby in a hospital
5. 5   Provide good nutrition to the to-be-mother and get regular checkups and vaccinations done which will ensure the good health of to-be- mother and the baby
6.        Say NO to female Foeticide!

About the Author: Dr Paresh Navalkar, Head Pre Hospital Care, Ziqitza Health Care Limited

Medical Orientation Camp @ 108 Bihar

108 Bihar organized a Medical Orientation Camp for Indira Gandhi Public School, over 200 students along with school management were educated on the importance of First Aid. Students got hands on training on various techniques to handle medical emergencies like snake bite, fracture, nose bleeding.

The school management thanked 108 Bihar team for educating on basic yet important techniques which will be helpful to them in future.

Successful completion of 3 years by 108 Kerala

Another milestone achieved by 108 Kerala by successfully completing 3 years of operations. Over 82,000 people have availed 108 Ambulance, Kerala service in 3 years. Dial 108 in Emergency, Kerala was launched under Public Private Partnership with Kerala Government.

Free Eye Check Up Camp @ 108 Punjab

In another initiative taken by 108 Punjab a massive Free Eye Check Up Camp was organized in Chandigarh in which over 350 people participated. The camp was organized  with the support from GMR and all the participants underwent eye check up, were advised on their concerns and were also given spectacles. This camp was a huge success and the participants were also educated on the services provided by 108 Ambulance and how it can be availed in any medical emergency.