The Gujarat 108 ambulance service has prepared a statewide surge plan for the Diwali, New Year and Bhai Dooj period, when emergency calls could rise by about 20% because of burns, accidents, falls, poisoning and other medical emergencies. Around 1,500 ambulances and 6,000 personnel will remain available across the state, according to the service.
The 108 emergency service currently handles an average of 5,500 to 6,000 emergency calls a day on regular days. The volume could increase to approximately 7,500 calls during the Diwali period, the report said. The preparedness plan covers staffing, medicines, ambulance maintenance, field deployment and emergency-response management.
Jaswant Prajapati, CEO of the Gujarat 108 service, said the organisation carries out a scientific analysis every year to identify the types of emergencies that may increase in specific districts and locations during festivals. Resources are then aligned with the forecast, including additional emergency response officers, team leaders and emergency response centre physicians at the organisation’s centres in Kathwada.
The service also plans to dynamically relocate ambulances based on likely emergency hotspots. Prajapati said the system uses a “Google hotspots” approach to position vehicles closer to areas where demand is expected to rise, with the aim of reducing response times for patients and accident victims.
According to Prajapati, the integration of suitable ambulances from primary health centres and community health centres into the 108 network has taken the total number of operational ambulances in Gujarat to about 1,500. The service’s response time, which was earlier 15 to 16 minutes, has fallen to 11 to 12 minutes statewide. In cities, the response time is below 10 minutes, he said.
The festival period presents an additional operational challenge because Diwali can extend across five to seven days, while some private hospitals and doctors may remain unavailable during the holidays. The 108 team has therefore planned for continuity in human resources, field operations, supply chains and information technology so that services can continue without interruption.
The ambulances are equipped to provide pre-hospital care for several emergencies, including burns, snake bites, cardiac arrests, pregnancy-related cases and trauma. Prajapati said burn-care arrangements include coordination with hospitals that have burn wards, wound-care supplies and burn ointments inside ambulances. Paramedics have also been trained to provide care for patients with serious burns during transport.
The 112 integrated emergency service will also remain active during the festival period. It brings police, fire, medical, women’s safety, child protection and disaster-management services under a common emergency-response platform. The integrated system includes the former 100 police service, 101 fire service, 108 medical emergency service, 181 Abhayam women’s helpline, 1098 child helpline and disaster-management numbers 1070 and 1077.
Officials said the 108 and 112 teams have planned resources in advance to manage the expected increase in calls and activate the appropriate response, whether medical, police, fire or disaster-management assistance is required.
