AHMEDABAD: Gujarat is moving to overhaul emergency healthcare access in its tribal belt, with the state government adding 89 new ambulances to bring the average emergency response time in these areas down from 18 minutes 32 seconds to around 10 minutes.
The expansion is aimed at narrowing the emergency-care gap between tribal and non-tribal regions and ensuring that difficult terrain does not delay critical medical assistance.
At present, the average response time of Gujarat’s 108 Emergency Ambulance Service is around 13 minutes 9 seconds. While urban areas record an average response time of about 9 minutes 55 seconds, the figure rises to approximately 16 minutes 28 seconds in rural areas.
Tribal regions face an even greater challenge because of hilly terrain, forested areas, remote settlements, unpaved roads and monsoon-related disruptions. As a result, the current average response time in these areas stands at around 18 minutes 32 seconds.
The new fleet is therefore being positioned closer to communities to cut travel time and strengthen access to emergency care. Once added, the ambulance fleet across the identified tribal districts will rise from 553 to 642 vehicles.
89 Ambulances Across Three Categories
1. The new deployment has been designed around the varied emergency and terrain requirements of tribal Gujarat. It will include:
2. 22 Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances for critically ill and high-risk patients requiring advanced pre-hospital care.
3. 55 Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances for emergency transportation and essential life-support services.
4. 12 Four-Wheel-Drive (4WD) ambulances for hilly terrain, rough roads, remote settlements and areas affected by heavy rainfall or flooding.
Among these, the 12 specialised 4WD ambulances are expected to play a crucial role in reaching locations where conventional ambulances can face operational difficulties, particularly during the monsoon.
Focus on the Critical Golden Hour:
The government said the expansion is focused on improving access to emergency intervention during the critical Golden Hour following serious medical incidents.
Faster ambulance access is particularly important for pregnant women, newborns, children, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and critically ill patients living in remote areas. By positioning additional ambulances closer to vulnerable communities, the state aims to reduce the gap between an emergency call, the arrival of medical assistance and subsequent hospitalisation.
The initiative will also target both key stages of emergency transportation reaching the patient faster and transporting the patient to an appropriate healthcare facility without delay.
According to the government, the expansion will strengthen the pre-hospital emergency care network while improving healthcare connectivity for tribal communities living in geographically challenging locations.
The initiative is being positioned as part of the state’s broader efforts to strengthen healthcare access in remote tribal areas and advance the objective of providing accessible and equitable emergency healthcare to communities regardless of geographical barriers.
The procurement process is currently underway and is being managed by the Additional Director of Medical Services, Gandhinagar.