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Karnataka Department of Health and Family Welfare has tied up with ride-hailing apps Uber and Ola to provide 24x7 ‘Medical Emergency Services’ for patients who are advised non-ambulatory prolonged treatment.
B Sriramulu, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, who flagged off the services, said “The aim of this service is to ensure that other medical emergency services do not get ignored, given the massive concentration on Covid-19.”
He further said “With the increasing number of Covid-19 related cases, 108 ambulance services are being utilised completely to ferry Covid-19 patients to hospitals and quarantine centres. In order for other patients, who have medical emergencies and require medical procedures such as dialysis, chemotherapy, organ transplant and radiation therapy , not to be inconvenienced, the State Government has tied up with ride hailing apps Uber and Ola to provide 100 cabs each for the benefit of such patients.”
Booking numbers
The Uber and Ola vehicles can be booked by calling dedicated numbers 9154153917, 9154153918 or by logging in to the respective apps. Services provided will include only shifting of patients from home to hospital and hospital to home and not for any other medical emergencies including suspected and positive cases of Covid-19.
Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Commissioner, Department of Health and Family Welfare, said, “The service providers will provide details of drivers and vehicles to the Deputy Director (EMRI) and will also submit a daily report on the number of cases shifted on a daily basis. These vehicles will have signage on the front and rear which will read Department of Health and Family Welfare Services, Medical Emergency Service Vehicle (non-Covid-19) in red letters. Drivers will be provided with required masks and sanitisers by the service providers. Patients who use this service can register their grievances against drivers who demand additional charges with the Deputy Director (EMRI) at 915415397/18/19. It is compulsory that the driver and the patient attendant wear required masks for protection. It is also compulsory for the air conditioning in each of these vehicles to be switched off and the window panes to be rolled down.”
The charges for this service will be minimum, without any extra service charge or additional charges. As of now, such services will be in operation until April 15.
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