Patna: The Bihar government has announced that Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances will soon be available in every district, a move aimed at strengthening emergency medical services and improving survival rates during critical situations. The ambulances, equipped with advanced life-saving equipment, are expected to provide rapid medical intervention during the crucial “golden hour” following serious illness or accidents.
According to state health minister Mangal Pandey, the initiative forms part of broader efforts by the government to modernise emergency healthcare infrastructure across the state. He described ALS ambulances as “mobile ICUs”, capable of delivering advanced medical care to critically ill or injured patients while they are being transported to hospitals.
Pandey said that many patients in rural and smaller districts often face difficulties accessing advanced medical facilities, as diagnostic equipment such as MRI machines is largely available only at medical colleges. Deploying ALS ambulances at district and block levels will help bridge this gap by stabilising patients and safely transporting them to higher medical centres when required.
Each ALS ambulance will be equipped with ventilators, cardiac monitors, defibrillators and essential life-saving drugs. The vehicles will be staffed by trained paramedics and medical professionals, enabling accident victims and critically ill patients to receive advanced treatment even before reaching the hospital.
The health minister also highlighted the expansion of the state’s ambulance network, which provides free referral transport through the toll-free number 102. At present, 1,941 ambulances are operating across the state, and the government plans to add 124 more, taking the total fleet to 2,065.
Official figures show that 1.43 million patients used the government ambulance service in the financial year 2024–25. In the current financial year 2025–26, 1.59 million patients have already benefited from the service up to January, reflecting growing reliance on the state’s emergency transport system.
