Chennai: Minor accident or major injury, the 108 ambulance service comes to the rescue. From transporting victims to hospital to giving first-aid on the way– they do it all.

However, little do we know about them and if you have not utilised their help, chances of your acknowledging their work is less.

In the first part of this series, we explore the network of 108.

Under the aegis of State Department of Health and Family Welfare, the Tamilnadu Health Systems Project (TNHSP) kicked off the 108 ambulance services in 2008. It is operated under a public-private partnership with GVK-EMRI.

NUMBERS SPEAK

Currently, 936 vehicles and 41 first responder bikes are distributed across Tamilnadu. There are also 65 neonatal, 78 four-wheel-drive vehicles and 57 advanced life support ambulances.

“The four-wheel drive carrier is a jeep-like structure that can navigate in different terrains, even on non-motorable roads,” an official from 108 service said.

The emergency care receives around 15,000 calls from the State and 200 calls in Chennai per day.

STATIONING STRATEGY

The ambulances are deployed based on four categories: emergencies, hotspots, density of population and geographical terrain.

The official said, “The government of Tamilnadu has mapped accident-prone zones. With this data, we know the areas where fatal accidents happen and where it takes time to immediately respond. Taking all these into consideration, we deploy the ambulances.”

However, the hotspots are dynamic with every passing day owing to the accident prevention measures taken and vehicle density, keeping the ambulances on the move.

In Chennai, the deployment gameplan is called ‘flow with the traffic,’ as it is safer to swim along with the stream that helps in attending to a situation quickly.

Talking about the response time, the official added: “As far as Chennai is concerned, an emergency is met in eight minutes and 32 seconds and in other districts, it ranges from 12 to 15 minutes.”

PLATINUM CARE

As soon as the vehicle reaches the place, the emergency medical technician (EMT) abides by the ‘Platinum 10 minutes’ rule. This involves assessment of the victim, resuscitation and immobilisation.

“The EMTs would undergo a 45-day training and refresher course where they would be trained to give basic life support, international trauma life support and CPR,” added the official.

CHALLENGES

Though the ambulance moves at top speed, it is not as easy as it sounds.

“Tailgating, direction taken by the motorists when an ambulance cry is heard, irregular parking at night and narrow roads are major blocks a pilot faces when a distressed person is transported,” said the official.

“All vehicles should take left and pave way for the ambulance to move on the right,” was his advice.

1,10,000 CASES PER MONTH

The 108 service attends to 1,10,000 emergencies all over the State and around 5,500 in Chennai per month. Among them, 26 per cent are antenatal mothers, 24 per cent accidents and the rest, minor issues such as breathing difficulties, snake bite, poisoning, seizures or burns.