Ahmedabad, August 29: Started with 14 ambulances in Ahmedabad, the service now boasts of 453 emergency vehicles in the state
As the 108 ambulance service completes three years of operations in Gujarat on August 29, GVK EMRI, the trust that runs the service, released statistics from its history, facilitating institutional deliveries being its most creditworthy intervention, said the emergency services officials.
The emergency service began three years ago with 14 ambulances in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, which was slowly increased and spread to other parts of the state. Currently, there are 453 ambulances operating in all districts and talukas of the state.
Perhaps the most trying time it faced was during the Ahmedabad serial blasts, when 16 ambulances ferried 62 victims, providing them pre-hospital care on the way. Four staffers were also injured seriously after being caught in a blast at Asarwa Civil Hospital, where the last of the bombs went off.
During Kosi floods, 100 staffers were sent to Bihar as part of the Gujarat government’s relief efforts.
To date, the service has attended 16,43,469 emergencies and has helped bring up institutional deliveries stastitics by having catered to more than 5 lakh pregnancy-related cases. Its Emergency Medical Teams have assisted in 13,547 deliveries inside the ambulances itself.
During the “hooch tragedy” in Ahmedabad last year, 16 ambulances shifted approximately 234 victims to care centres in four days.
On Sunday, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Parbatbhai Patel and GVK EMRI CEO Venkat Chengavalli will detail the performance and future plans of the service at Town Hall in Gandhinagar.
Key stats* Total number of ambulances: 453* Total number of emergencies: 16,43,469; * Current monthly average: 2,415 Cases per day: 2,392* Pregnancy-related cases: 870 per day* Total number of lives saved: 71,130* Delivery assisted by EMTs: 13,547Source: EMRI, Gujarat
——–Agencies