Nashik: Drop in coronavirus cases significantly reduces load on ambulances in past two months

NASHIK: The calls to the ‘dial 108 ambulance’ service to transport Covid patients from their residence to a hospital or from one hospital to another has reduced considerably with the drop in Covid cases during the past couple of months

In June, the ‘dial 108 ambulance’ service got 215 calls to ferry Covid patients. While the ambulances had ferried 785 patients in May and 1,484 patients in April. when the infection rate was at its peak during the second wave.

However, as the positivity rate started reducing, the load on the ambulance to ferry Covid patients also reduced steadily after May 15.

Ashwin Raghamwar, the zonal manager of Bharat Vikas Group (BVG), Nashik zone, that operates the fleet of 47 ambulances in the district, said, “We have kept aside 17 ambulances only to ferry Covid patients. The doctors and drivers of the ambulances took all the necessary precautions to ensure they did not contract the infection while ferrying the passengers.”

Ambulances were increased in places where the infection rate was more.

Raghamwar said even if the infection rate has reduced over the past two months, they have continued to retain the 17 ambulances.

Meanwhile, the calls to ferry non-Covid patients increased in June. As against 2,776 non-Covid patients ferried in May, in June, the 108 ambulances ferried 3,071 non-Covid patients.