SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Aug 25: The Dhanbad district administration, in collaboration with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), has launched a dedicated roving ambulance service on the Delhi–Kolkata NH-2.
The service will operate round the clock along a 46 km stretch from Barakar Bridge at the Jharkhand–Bengal border to Barbadda in Dhanbad district.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Aditya Ranjan said the ambulance would be available 24 hours to provide immediate medical assistance to accident victims on the highway.
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Contact numbers released for emergency help
The administration has also released helpline numbers for public use: the ambulance driver (8229800281) and the NHAI control room (8170006300).
Officials explained that while the ambulance will continuously patrol the NH-2, in cases where the driver may be occupied, accident victims or bystanders can directly contact the NHAI control room for support.
Addressing delays in emergency response
Earlier, the lack of a dedicated ambulance service on NH-2 had often caused severe hardship for accident victims. In many cases, treatment was delayed until police from the concerned station informed local hospitals and arranged for transport. This delay sometimes proved fatal for injured persons.
To improve response, the ambulance will now remain stationed at Nirsa near the Maithon toll plaza under the supervision of NHAI officials, ensuring close monitoring of highway movement and immediate access when needed.
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Long-standing demand fulfilled
NHAI officials confirmed that the initiative was launched following instructions from Dhanbad district police. The demand for a dedicated ambulance service on NH-2 had been raised repeatedly by residents, road safety advocates, and civil society groups.
At the district’s Road Safety meeting on Sunday, the issue was again highlighted, after which DC Aditya Ranjan took serious note and directed the immediate introduction of the roving ambulance service to ensure timely medical assistance for accident victims.
