Consider this: Your father holds his chest in agony as he gasps for air. As the seconds pass and you call for an ambulance, the traffic outside appears to be at a complete halt. You feel powerless. This is not just your story, it is an everyday emergency unfolding in countless Indian homes.

In major cities, help may take 20 minutes or more. In remote villages, it could be an hour. In that window, lives hang in the balance.

 

Ambulances often arrives late:

Behind every delayed ambulance, there is a mix of infrastructure gaps and system overload:

• Urban congestion: Even with sirens blaring, ambulances struggle to make their way through tightly packed city traffic.
• Rural terrain: In less developed regions, broken or muddy roads, especially during the rains, make vehicle access nearly impossible.
• Shortage of trained staff: Many areas lack skilled paramedics or even a sufficient number of functioning ambulances.
• Poor communication: In emergencies, descriptions like “near the banyan tree” confuse dispatchers. Miscommunication wastes precious minutes.
• Hospital overcrowding: Emergency rooms are often full, causing ambulances to wait outside instead of heading out for the next emergency.

 

Types of ambulance services:

Understanding what kind of help is available can make all the difference:

• Basic Life Support (BLS): Usually for noncritical cases. These are not always equipped for heart attacks or strokes.
• Advanced Life Support (ALS): Meant for critical emergencies like cardiac arrests. These are more common in urban centers.
• Air ambulances: Ideal for long distance transfers, but expensive and not always feasible during bad weather.

 

How you can prepare:

Waiting passively during an emergency can cost lives. Here is how to be proactive:

 

1. Save multiple emergency contacts:

• Besides 108, find and save phone numbers of nearby private ambulance providers or hospitals ( Hospitalsuggest ).
• Keep a list of facilities with 24/7 emergency services in your area.

 

2. Learn basic first aid:

• Enroll in free CPR and first aid workshops, many are offered by NGOs and hospitals.
• Your actions in the first 5 minutes can keep someone alive until professional help arrives.

 

3. Go to emergency kit:

• Include essentials like antiseptic, gauze, prescription medications, emergency contact cards and ID proofs.
• Make one for your home, car and workplace.

 

4. Communicate clearly:

• Be specific: “Male, 60 years old, chest pain, unconscious.”
• Share your exact address or drop your location on WhatsApp to the emergency team.
• Mention known conditions like diabetes or hypertension to help them prepare.

 

5. Use technology wisely:

• Several apps now allow you to track ambulance arrival in real time ( Hospitalsuggest ).
• Consult a doctor online if delays occur, many platforms offer video consultation during emergencies.

 

6. Push for local solutions:

• Support community driven efforts like bike ambulances in hilly regions or volunteer responders in traffic dense cities.
• Advocate for dedicated ambulance lanes in your city, a few Indian metros are already experimenting with this.

 

Preparation; best medicine:

India’s emergency systems are evolving, but until they meet everyone’s needs, personal readiness is your strongest ally. As Dr. Meera Nambiar, a senior emergency physician, puts it:

“Knowing what to do in the first ten minutes can make the difference between life and loss.”

 

Start right now:

• Save emergency numbers in your phone.
• Learn CPR from a local NGO or hospital.
• Pack an emergency essentials kit for your family.

In those crucial moments when sirens are still distant, your calm and quick action is what keeps hope alive. Prepared hands do not wait, they act.