Firozabad DM dials 108 ambulance, told to wait for 50 minutes

AGRA: Amid reports of delayed or no response by 108 ambulance service even after repeated calls, Firozabad district magistrate Chandra Vijay Singh on Monday conducted a reality check.
Posing as a patient in dire need of medical attention, the DM dialled 108, requesting immediate service. Singh made the call while he stood next to two vacant ambulances. To his surprise, he was informed by the operator that he would have to wait for 50 minutes as the ambulances were busy ferrying patients.
“The average response time for an ambulance in the district is 20-25 minutes, but it is taking nearly an hour, and sometimes even a couple of hours to arrive, which is a matter of concern,” said the DM.
“My emergency call at 108 was connected to an ambulance, which was far away from my location — ideally my call should have been connected to the nearest available ambulance, which was metres away. There is some serious technical problem with 108 ambulance service which needs urgent attention,” said the DM. He was on an inspection in Tundla and was visiting a community health centre to check the medical facilities there.
The DM also learnt that the condition of 108 ambulance facility is at its worst when it comes to providing service to pregnant women.
"Based on my experience, I’ll write a letter to Lucknow, giving reference to the case in order to improve the 108 service,” Singh added.
In early May, TOI had reported how in the absence of an ambulance, the parents of a six-month-old child were forced to walk 10km, carrying him. The baby died in his father's arms just 400 metres from a hospital in Agra.
The probe set up by the DM of Agra found that despite several calls, the 108 ambulance service was not provided to the victim.