In Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has flagged off 200 ambulances from his official residence in Lucknow on Wednesday. These ambulances will be deployed in all 75 districts of the state. On this occasion, he said that with an aim of providing much needed medical help to all needy patients -specially from rural background and to take care of persons injured in accidental cases, the free ambulance service has been put to service. This is first lot of 972 ambulances to be deployed in all blocks in the current year 2012-13.He also hoped that availability of ambulances will lower the MMR (Maternal Mortality Rate) and IMR (Infant Mortality Rate). These rates in Uttar pradesh are one of the highest in the country -at 359 and 61 respectively.Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav also declared the waiver of the fees of 35 rupees which were used to be charged from patients admitted in hospitals from Wednesday.He also announced that additional wards with 100 beds and equipped with all facilities are being added to fifty women hospitals of state.Chief Minister said that health department has seen its nadir due to scams in NRHM, but henceforth it will be remembered for quality services he hoped. He was flanked by state Health Minister Ahmad Hasan, PWD minister Shivpal Yadav and many other cabinet ministers and senior officials.