To strengthen the health and wellness programme of IIT Kharagpur, the alumni of the institute have helped design a customised ambulance and gifted it to their alma mater.

The institute which has earlier launched wellness programmes for students has been continually working towards improving health care and wellness facilities. "We have initiated a process for two ambulances similar to those used by superspeciality hospitals for long distance transfer of patients under constant monitoring. "The present initiative by the alumni to augment our fleet of ambulances is exemplary considering the time spent and technical expertise extended to custom design this ambulance which shows the level of affection for the students," said Prof Sriman Kumar Bhattacharya, Deputy Director, IIT Kharagpur.

A group of alumni members worked towards understanding the requirements of the patients from the IIT Kharagpur campus who are referred to hospitals at Kolkata. "The patients need comfort and constant monitoring along with some uninterrupted emergency services during transit. While designing the interiors of the ambulance and the power supply we focused on these aspects," explained Achin Juneja, an electronics engineer who graduated from IIT Kharagpur in 1972. He consulted several doctors and super speciality hospitals in India to ensure best-in-class emergency medical fittings and effective vehicle design for long-distance journey.