Just 54 cardiac ambulances for Covid patients in Pune when need is for many more

PUNE: Cardiac ambulances are not readily available in the city even though an average of 300 patients per day need them. There are 54 such vehicles available in the civic areas and most are operated by private operators.
Health practitioners said patients suffering from respiratory diseases due to Covid-19 need these ambulances. But, many Covid-19 patients in the city have had to wait for hours in critical conditions for the want of these ambulances.Their demand is high not only locally, but also for intra-district travel where relatives prefer to transport patients to their native places or nearby cities where they can get a ventilator and treatment.
“Patients and their relatives, who need a cardiac ambulance wait for hours to get one. Timely availability of this ambulance is a must for saving lives. Their non-availability is a concern,” Gopal Jhambhe, secretary of the ambulance association of Pune, told TOI. On an average, there are 15 to 20 calls per day for intra-district travel via a cardiac ambulance, he said.
PMC officials said they have started a war room with a helpline for better coordination of the ambulance service. “The civic administration is taking efforts to increase all types of ambulances. More are available in civic areas now compared to last year,” Shrinivas Kandul, a senior PMC official, said.
According to PMC data, there are 45,000 active patients in PMC areas with nearly 70% in home quarantine and the rest are being treated in hospitals or at Covid care centres.