Dial what for help?
Mirror speaks to hospitals, citizens and activists and finds out that what the city needs is a centralised ambulance helpline like those implemented in Mumbai and Vadodara. Politicians say it has been provided for in the budget, but given the civic bodys track record we wonder if and when it will be realised……….Vishakha Sharma
Mirror speaks to hospitals, citizens and activists and finds out that what the city needs is a centralised ambulance helpline like those implemented in Mumbai and Vadodara. Politicians say it has been provided for in the budget, but given the civic bodys track record we wonder if and when it will be realised……….Vishakha Sharma
There are many lessons to be learnt from the 13/02 blast at German Bakery. One of them is that the city needs a common helpline for ambulances and ambulance services.
Even though Pune has developed a lot in terms of infrastructure, a lot still needs to be done by the city to prepare itself to face a disaster.
Where cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad already have a common ambulance helpline number through which the ambulances become available to take casualties to the nearest hospital from area of the crises, Pune still lacks one.
When Pune Mirror spoke to R R Pardeshi, head of the health department, PMC, he said, Pune doesn’t have a common helpline number for the ambulances yet but it has been put in the budget and there will soon be one common helpline number for all the government and private hospitals.
City needs a centralised helpline number
Ten years ago, in 2000, Mohan Avadhi from the Rotary Club, Poona South had started an ambulance helpline number (1050) called the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for a few private hospitals in Pune. This helpline number was a private initiative and was started with the Deenanath Mangeskar Hospital.
Ten years ago, in 2000, Mohan Avadhi from the Rotary Club, Poona South had started an ambulance helpline number (1050) called the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for a few private hospitals in Pune. This helpline number was a private initiative and was started with the Deenanath Mangeskar Hospital.
With each passing year, one by one more hospitals got connected. This EMS at present is for 10 hospitals in Pune like Ruby Hall Clinic, Lokmanya Hospital, Surya Hospital, Inlaks & Budhrani Hospital, etc.
But still, there is a need to have one common helpline number for all ambulances and ambulance services. said Avadhi.
Dr Raj Hans from Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital said, EMS is active and a lot of people know about it too, but having one common helpline number is necessary as it involves all the hospitals of the city and during crisis can prove to be fruitful.
Dr Manisha Bobade, who heads the accident and emergency department of Jehangir Hospital said, Of course there is a need for a common helpline number and a Global Positioning System (GPS) is the only solution.
The helpline number should actually be implemented for the whole state like it is in Hyderabad, but even if it starts with only Pune, it is great. Besides, more and more youth should participate in such health services.
For example, most people don’t understand which hospital to go to if there is an accident and end up going to a different one. This helpline number can only be started by the government and I am sure that the civic body is taking it seriously, she added.
Dr Sujata Malik, medical director of Ruby Hall Clinic said, Certainly, there is a need for Pune to have a common helpline number for ambulance services. Especially during a crisis, when the role of ambulances really come into play, it is required.
Dr Arun Jamkar, dean, Sassoon General Hospital said, Pune has an ambulance helpline number which is a private initiative but quite effective. Seeing the present scenario and after the 13/02 blast, a common helpline number for ambulances has become a must.
The vadodara model
What we expect to be undertaken in Pune and Maharashtra, is something which the Lifeline Foundation (LLF), a Non Government Organisation (NGO) based in Vadodara, Gujarat had started as the emergency medical services in 2002. Pune Mirror spoke to Shubroto Das, the founder of this project.
What we expect to be undertaken in Pune and Maharashtra, is something which the Lifeline Foundation (LLF), a Non Government Organisation (NGO) based in Vadodara, Gujarat had started as the emergency medical services in 2002. Pune Mirror spoke to Shubroto Das, the founder of this project.
He said, We have a centralised ambulance service. Our central control centre is located at Lifeline Foundation office/control room existing for the Highway Rescue Project. The centre is equipped with two way communication wireless between the ambulances and the centres.
Distress calls are thrown on the wireless system for the nearest hospital based ambulance to respond. The dispatcher at the control room with the aid of a digital map of Vadodara, helps the ambulance in the field to locate the distress caller.
Adequately equipped and manned ambulances are deployed at various sites of the city and the suburbs in such a way that each ambulance covers a radius that is not more than 10 minutes from the centre where the ambulance is located. he added.
How to make it work
Arun Kharat, owner of the Wings Radio Cabs in Pune told Mirror how the Wings cabs work in the city. We have a central monitoring system.
Arun Kharat, owner of the Wings Radio Cabs in Pune told Mirror how the Wings cabs work in the city. We have a central monitoring system.
Through the master control room, vehicles all across the city are tracked on GPS. And due to the GPS we are able to see the nearest place on the map which is in the range of half kilometre to one kilometer from the place the customer wants to take the cab from. Accordingly, the vehicle is dispatched.
The ambulance helpline service also functions similarly in Mumbai, but it is not in Pune. We need one for sure. he added.