E-one promises quick ambulance service

E-one promises quick ambulance service
Monday June 30 2008 10:42 IST Premila Krishnan | ENS for EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

BANGALORE: Now an ICU doctor is only a call away. Just dial 1057-11 in case of a heart attack and avail expert medical advice immediately.

A well-equipped ambulance, accompanied by a qualified doctor and nurse, will reach your destination at the earliest. 'E-one' is the latest fad in Bangalore and the ambulance service is totally free.

"'Central Command System' or E 1 is GPRS-enabled and a large screen spots the ambulance nearest to the caller's address. The driver is intimated through the wireless. In case of heart attack, the ICU doctor gives expert advice to the caller and when the patient arrives at the hospital, everything is ready, including the operation theatre," said Lyoyd Nazareth, Chief Operating Officer E-one, who oversees this facility.

E-one is a part of Wockhardt Emergency Care Network of Hospitals. He continued: "We don't charge for the ambulance service. This facility is meant for all irrespective of their choice of hospital for treatment. During an emergency, the patient is taken to the nearest hospital for resuscitation and life saving drugs. 'Save a life, save this number' is our motto," he added.

V Vijayarathna, DGM of Wockhardt Hospital on Cunningham Road, said that they get about 8-10 calls per day. Which hospital a patient is taken to depends on the nature if his or her injury. "If it is a cardiac problem, we admit him at Wockhardt. In case of head injury, first aid is given and then the patient is referred to NIMHANS or our hospital at Bannerghatta."

Kareem Kara, Medical Officer and ICU specialist, has handled 200 emergency cases. "It takes 15 to 20 minutes for a cardio problem to become life-threatening, depending on the severity of the case. There are ample facilities provided in the ambulance: provision for first- aid, TT, IV fluids and pain killers. Our ambulance has a ventilator, oxygen cylinder, emergency drugs and ECG to combat acute situations. Once, I treated a lady with a weak heart and irregular heart rhythms amidst traffic congestion. Our mobile ICU is quite helpful and our treatment begins as soon as we get to touch the patient," he said.