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.