Patna: State health minister Mangal Pandey on Thursday launched a fleet of 65 basic-life-support ambulances at the State Health Society.

People have to dial 102 to call the ambulances, which will provide free service to pregnant women pre and post-delivery and for children up to one year old if they are to be taken to government hospitals for treatment.

The ambulances will also be free of charge for below-poverty-line families, senior citizens, accident victims and kala-azar patients, the minister said.

"Presently, there are 799 government-run basic-life-support ambulances in the state," said Lokesh Kumar Singh, executive director, State Health Society.

"The State Health Society, as per a memorandum of understanding signed with the Consortium of Samman Foundation and Pashupatinath Distributors Private Limited in April, has decided to start more ambulances under the 102 service. Earlier in August, 81 ambulances have already been launched by the Consortium of Samman Foundation and Pashupatinath Distributors. Today, 65 more ambulances were launched by the consortium. All this is being done to bolster health-care services in the state," he added.

The health department also runs advanced life support ambulances - which are better equipped than the basic ambulances - that can be called by dialling 108 (in Patna district) and 1099 (across the state).

The health department had earlier decided to integrate all the state-run ambulance services in the state but has now shelved that plan, said Singh.

"This was decided earlier that ambulances running under the denomination of 102, 108 and 1099 would be integrated and would be controlled by one call centre, but this plan has been shelved," he said.