HYDERABAD: Patrol vehicles deployed by the police department to ensure strict surveillance, are now coming to the rescue of people in health emergencies, especially pregnant women. As ambulances all over the State are on Covid-19 duties, they are sometimes not able to attend to pregnant women on time, leading the latter to approach police. Police patrol teams in turn are shifting them to hospitals. Such rides were given out in Petbasheerabad, Medchal and Kondapur and in Mancherial district on Monday.
Cyberabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said the police was working round the clock and urged public to use Dial-100 or the Covid control rooms in case of any emergency or delay in ambulances.
“We have also launched 13 new ambulances in Cyberabad to address such emergencies and they are at the disposal of people all over the city round the clock,” Sajjanar said.
The patrol vehicles are meant for surveillance, crowd control, other law and order situations. A lady in Petbasheerabad named Laxmi was in labour and her husband Madhu called an ambulance. But he was told that the vehicle was on another call. Madhu immediately dialled 100 and the call was directed to the Patrol Car-I of Petbasheerabad police station. In less than five minutes, police reached Laxmi and she was shifted to Koti Maternity Hospital where she delivered a healthy baby boy.
Same was the case with Jayalaxmi from Begumpet, who delivered a girl in the wee hours of Sunday. There have been other such calls for help at Secunderabad and the Old City in the last few days.