L-G Saxena launches a 24×7 emergency network on helpline 108, with more than 1,100 expectant mothers already mapped for timely hospital transport
Leh, October 19: No village in Ladakh will now be beyond the reach of an ambulance. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Monday launched “Ladakh Sanjeevani Seva”, a round-the-clock ambulance service covering all 248 villages across the Union Territory’s seven districts. It can be reached on the emergency helpline 108.
The fleet of 73 ambulances, staffed by trained drivers, will respond to road accidents, tourists’ medical needs, high-altitude emergencies and pregnancy-related cases. Every village has been assigned a specific ambulance and driver, linked to the nearest health centre. Ambulances are stationed on average about 13 km from the villages they serve.
Leh has the largest share with 18 ambulances, followed by Kargil with 17 and Changthang with 12. Sham and Nubra have nine each, while Zanskar and Drass have four each.
Maternal care is a key focus. Health workers went door to door to record expectant mothers and their due dates, and more than 1,100 women are now on a central database linked to their nearest ambulance. Officials say this advance planning will prevent dangerous delays, especially in remote hamlets during Ladakh’s harsh winters.
The service will also help patients with cancer, kidney and heart disease, stroke and serious lung conditions who need frequent hospital visits.
Saxena said a health system is judged by how quickly it reaches people in need, not by its buildings. He said no one in Ladakh should be denied timely care because of distance.
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