Mangalore: Exposed - 108 'Emergency' Ambulance Service

Pics: Ramesh Pandith
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS)
 
Mangalore, Sep 20: The poor standard of the 108 ambulance service and the call centre came to the fore when a senior journalist dialled the number expecting  quick response from them. A woman aged about 20 who was shivering from fever had taken shelter at the Rao & Rao circle here on Tuesday September 20. It is not known where the woman is from.
 
When the journalist, after giving a cup of coffee and some food to the girl, called 108 at around 10 am he was told that the ambulance would arrive at the spot in 15 minutes as the distance between Wenlock and Rao & Rao circle (near State Bank) is half a kilometre. In the meantime, he also informed the police.

However, after half an hour, 108 service staff in Mangalore called him back to confirm the incident. During the course of the conversation, the person also asked the journalist how he could guarantee them that she has fever. Even though the address had been given to the call centre in Bangalore, he was made to go through it again.

When asked about the delay, he was told that the ambulance was near Jyothi circle attending another case. This has given rise to the question whether ambulances in Government hospitals are in limited numbers - if two accidents take place in two different places, will they be able to attend only one of them?.
 
Finally, when the ambulance arrived on the spot, the truth was revealed by the driver of the ambulance. He said he was a resident of Karwar and does not know the place very well. This again made the public gathered ask why drivers who are not familiar with the place are hired.

Later, she was admitted in Wenlock hospital. Locals who had gathered were also furious about the quality of 108 service and said if such cases take place in the heart of the city, what would be the fate of patients in the outskirts.