Shortage of 108 ambulances hits emergency services in Karimnagar

With a majority of patients from Karimnagar and adjacent districts being referred to Warangal MGM hospital for better treatment, there are not enough ambulances to rush to their help.

Karimnagar: People dial 108 for ambulance services only when their life is in danger, and they need urgent help. But what if there aren’t enough ambulances to rush them to hospital?

The 108 emergency services in the district is facing trouble in ensuring that patients reach hospitals in time due to lack of adequate number of ambulances. While one 108 ambulance has to service the needs of people in a 40 kilometre radius from its station, the erstwhile Karimnagar district has only 46 ambulances. With a majority of patients from Karimnagar and adjacent districts being referred to Warangal MGM hospital for better treatment, there are not enough ambulances to rush to their help.

Depending on the health condition of patients, doctors are referring patients to MGM from Mancherial, Chennur, Asifabad, Adilabad and Bejjur of erstwhile Adilabad district. On an average, every day, about 20 patients are being taken to Warangal from erstwhile Karimnagar. If a patient has to be shifted to Warangal from Mancherial, he/she has to change four vehicles in Peddapalli, Karimnagar, Huzurabad, given the fact that each ambulance takes the patient to the end of its jurisdiction. It is very difficult to shift patients from one vehicle to another. Moreover, it is very difficult to pick up patients if there is any other accident in the meantime.

In order to provide better services to the people, 108 service district authorities sent proposals for six new ambulances since more vehicles were required for Karimnagar, Peddapalli and Jagtial districts, it is learnt. On the other hand, new guidelines are reportedly delaying 108 ambulance services.

Ambulance crew should start the vehicle by pressing the start button on the digital tab given to them after receiving a call about an accident. Crew will get a call again if they did not start within time. They will get a warning letter if they fail to respond to three phone calls, sources said.

After boarding the victim in the ambulance, the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) should enter the details of the accident in the tab and press the start button again. The victim should be admitted to a nearby government hospital after providing first aid. Finally, joining time, doctor’s name and other details should be uploaded in the tab.