Need an Ambulance ? No thanks
There was an article in the paper here this week about a man who died of a heart attack in Hyderabad because the Ambulance that came to assist him could not be opened. The door to the ambulance was stuck and the paramedics couldn't get to the equipment and medical supplies they needed for over 10 minutes while the man lay needing treatment. The door was finally opened but it was too late for the man. Sadly, this is not an isolated incident here in India.
Touch wood, we have never needed to call upon an ambulance while living in either India or Hong Kong but in both places I would opt for many other modes of transport rather than an ambulance. We often see them stuck in traffic, with the sirens on but no one moving or assisting them in getting through the traffic faster. On the few occasions we have needed to get to/from hospital for urgent or immediate treatment we have used our car or even a tuk tuk which is by far faster then waiting on an ambulance. Living in a gated community provides lots of friends, but it also provides access to a car to borrow if needed quickly.
In Hong Kong it was really just the traffic that caused the delays. However, in India there is more to it then just the traffic - it is the lack of ambulances available, the volume of unanswered emergency calls, constant strikes from the drivers and paramedics and the inadequate maintenance of vehicles, lack of medical supplies and reduced training of staff. All of these factors make the '108' service a risky choice when needed. The ambulance service is a semi-privatised service that struggles to keep control of the companies involved, the tender process, and the costs they charge. Speaking to our staff, they said that they would take public transport or a tuk tuk in an emergency - there just isn't any point in waiting for an ambulance.
We are the lucky ones, as we do not rely on this service or public transport when an emergency occurs. As you can imagine, millions of Indians rely on this service (or lack there of) to keep them and their family members alive. It is a horrible situation that seems to be only getting worse.
Lets hope we don't need to further test this theory out !!!
Touch wood, we have never needed to call upon an ambulance while living in either India or Hong Kong but in both places I would opt for many other modes of transport rather than an ambulance. We often see them stuck in traffic, with the sirens on but no one moving or assisting them in getting through the traffic faster. On the few occasions we have needed to get to/from hospital for urgent or immediate treatment we have used our car or even a tuk tuk which is by far faster then waiting on an ambulance. Living in a gated community provides lots of friends, but it also provides access to a car to borrow if needed quickly.
In Hong Kong it was really just the traffic that caused the delays. However, in India there is more to it then just the traffic - it is the lack of ambulances available, the volume of unanswered emergency calls, constant strikes from the drivers and paramedics and the inadequate maintenance of vehicles, lack of medical supplies and reduced training of staff. All of these factors make the '108' service a risky choice when needed. The ambulance service is a semi-privatised service that struggles to keep control of the companies involved, the tender process, and the costs they charge. Speaking to our staff, they said that they would take public transport or a tuk tuk in an emergency - there just isn't any point in waiting for an ambulance.
We are the lucky ones, as we do not rely on this service or public transport when an emergency occurs. As you can imagine, millions of Indians rely on this service (or lack there of) to keep them and their family members alive. It is a horrible situation that seems to be only getting worse.
Lets hope we don't need to further test this theory out !!!
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