Bengaluru: Apollo Hospitals announces free ambulance services for emergencies

Bengaluru: Apollo Hospitals Bangalore on Thursday announced the launch of free ambulance services for emergencies within the city limits of 5 Km.'s The free ambulance service would ensure that the family or friends do not need to waste time looking for an ambulance in case of any emergency and simply dial 1066 to access Apollo Hospitals Dedicated Emergency Response System (ERS). An advanced GPRS-enabled Ambulance would be immediately dispatched along with trained paramedics equipped with the necessary critical care equipment. Time is a critical factor in an emergency and the 24X7 ERS would help ensure that medical aid and support can be easily accessed during the critical minutes of the 'golden hour' helping to prevent death and disability.

One of the Apollo Hospital representative said, With this initiative we want to ensure that nothing should stand between a patient facing an emergency and timely treatment, we have decided to provide free emergency ambulance services within the city limits of 5 Kms. With this, patients can dial 1066 and be assured of rapid transport to Apollo Hospitals' emergency for definitive care, in most cases within the 'golden hour'.

The importance of the term ''golden hour'' is well-known with morbidity and mortality being affected if care of seriously ill or trauma patients is not instituted within the first hour after injury. A study has shown that for every additional minute of out-of-hospital time, the risk of dying in major trauma patients increased by 5 percent. We hope that this facility will help patients' access treatment within the golden hour and save many lives, said Apollo Hospital representative.

The 24X7 Emergency Response System has led to a revolutionary change in reducing mortality from any medical or surgical emergency resulting from any serious illness such as heart attack or stroke and trauma. On dialling 1066, an advanced GPRS enabled ambulance would be dispatched along with trained paramedics equipped with the necessary critical care equipment.

During transfer to the hospital, the patient's vitals would be monitored and a two-way communication between the ambulance and the hospital would help to ensure a thorough update on the patient's condition. This method will help the hospital staff prepare to receive the patient and begin treatment with no delays, and prepare concerned departments and facilities such as the cath lab, operating theatre, ICUs to give the required medical aid to the patient.

The GPRS enabled tracking will also give the Apollo emergency team an accurate time of arrival of the patient so they can plan the steps to save the patient following arrival. The Apollo emergency response protocol ensures to stabilize a majority of emergency cases in a time critical manner, matching with the international benchmarks for golden hour management. The free emergency ambulance service, accessible across the cities by dialling the integrated ERS number 1066, will enable immediate access world-class emergency advice and care.