Latest news with #CentralisedAccidentandTraumaService
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Delhi govt to discontinue bike ambulance service
N ew Delhi: Delhi govt has decided to discontinue the bike ambulance service launched by AAP govt in Feb 2019 after finding it unsuitable in the city's extreme weather conditions. The bike ambulance service was started in 2019 by the previous AAP govt. It was aimed at providing first aid for emergencies at home. The then govt launched 16 first-responder bikes, which operated in east, north-east Delhi, and Shahdara as part of a pilot project. The scheme was halted because of the Covid lockdown in 2020, but there were plans to give it a fresh push last year. Senior officials, however, said that they have now handed over the bikes to the general administration department of Delhi govt, and there have been suggestions if they can be used by the fire department. "Delhi mostly has extreme weather conditions. Also, there is a tendency among patients to call emergency services like ambulances mostly when they are critical. For critical patients, it is difficult to sit on a bike," an official said. The official mentioned that govt would instead focus more on expanding vans as ambulance services. Officials said govt plans to enhance its emergency medical response capabilities by incorporating 103 additional ambulances into the Centralised Accident and Trauma Service (CATS). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The expansion, which aims to bolster urgent healthcare services across Delhi, includes the procurement of 50 geriatric-friendly advanced life support (ALS) ambulances that will be operated by an outsourced agency, officials said. Private ambulance operators have been invited to submit applications for 53 basic life support (BLS) vehicles, including drivers and qualified paramedical staff. While starting the bike ambulance service, the then AAP govt had said that two-wheelers can reach places where four-wheelers cannot. In many cases requiring medical attention, a few minutes can mean a difference between life and death. "These bike ambulances are handy as they can reach the site quickly in congested areas, provide first aid, and stabilise a patient's condition before an ambulance arrives. They also inform the control room about the case, if required," it said. Officials, however, said that the bike ambulances are more useful in areas with rough terrain where cars cannot reach at all, but in Delhi, that is not the case. These bike ambulances were equipped with kits, weighing 30kg, that contained air splints to immobilise joints, ambu bags for assisted breathing, a glucometer and a pulse oximeter to check a person's blood glucose and oxygen saturation. They also had a manual suction machine to clear airways and foldable transfer sheets to move patients in a narrow stairwell or from a narrow lane to the ambulance. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Delhi government to add 103 ambulances to CATS fleet
New Delhi: Delhi govt plans to enhance its emergency medical response capabilities by incorporating 103 additional ambulances into the Centralised Accident and Trauma Service (CATS) network. The expansion, which aims to bolster urgent healthcare services across the city, includes the procurement of 50 geriatric-friendly advanced life support (ALS) ambulances. These will be operated by an outsourced agency, according to officials. Moreover, private ambulance operators have been invited to submit applications for 53 basic life support (BLS) vehicles, including drivers and qualified paramedical staff. While ALS services are scheduled to begin functioning in May itself, BLS services are expected to commence operations within the next three months, with the tender process currently in progress. The geriatric-friendly ambulances incorporate specific elements for elderly patient transport safety and comfort. These include wheelchair access, transfer assistance devices and medical monitoring equipment for vital signs. The new fleet of 53 BLS ambulances will be equipped with 24 crucial medical instruments, such as oxygen cylinders, pulse oximeters, nebulisers, oxygen flow metres and suction pumps. The addition of the new vehicles will increase Delhi's CATS ambulance fleet from 277 to 380. Currently, CATS owns 137 ambulances, consisting of eight ALS and 129 BLS units. Furthermore, 140 ambulances are contracted from private operators, including 50 ALS and 90 BLS vehicles. The new additions will result in Delhi having 108 ALS and 272 BLS ambulances within the CATS network. The move follows revelations in the Delhi Assembly about increased ambulance response times, now exceeding 17 minutes despite fleet additions. This information emerged after Sadar Bazar constituency's AAP MLA Som Dutt raised the query in the assembly in March this year. Records show CATS ambulances now take 17.4 minutes to arrive, up from 13 minutes in 2014, despite the fleet growing from 155 to 261 vehicles over a decade, serving Delhi's population of nearly three crore. A Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) report recently identified several CATS ambulances operating without crucial equipment. Response times from Jan 2020 to July 2020 ranged between 28 and 56 minutes, improving to 15 minutes by Sept 2022. Feb 2020 recorded 49 rejected calls due to staff shortages, oxygen unavailability and vehicle issues, the CAG report pointed out. CATS, founded in June 1989 under Delhi govt's department of health and family welfare, transferred operations to external management in Aug 2019 for three years, with a potential two-year extension subject to performance evaluation.
New Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Delhi government to add 53 new ambulances to CATS fleet, boosting emergency response
NEW DELHI: In a move to strengthen emergency medical services in the national capital, the Delhi Government is set to add 53 new ambulances to its Centralised Accident and Trauma Service (CATS) fleet. According to officials, the Health Department has started the process to bring these new ambulances on rent. These ambulances will be equipped with basic life support (BLS) systems and are expected to become operational within the next three months. 'Applications have been invited from private ambulance operators to provide vehicles along with drivers and trained paramedical staff,' an official said. The new ambulances will come with 24 essential medical devices, including oxygen cylinders, pulse oximeters, nebulizers, oxygen flow meters, and suction pumps. Once the new ambulances are added, the total number of CATS ambulances in Delhi will rise from 266 to 319. At present, the city has 137 ambulances owned by CATS, including eight Advanced Life Support (ALS) and 129 BLS ambulances. Additionally, 140 ambulances are hired from private operators, which include 50 ALS ambulances. With the new additions, Delhi will have a total of 53 ALS and 213 BLS ambulances available under the CATS network. The decision to increase the ambulance fleet comes amid growing concerns about delays in emergency response times. According to a recent report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), there has been a rise in the time taken by ambulances to reach patients after they call the CATS helpline (102). In September 2022, the average response time was about 15 minutes, which has now increased to 17 minutes.
