Receiving anywhere between 30,000 and 40,000 calls and attending to around 3,000 emergencies every day, the GVK EMRI 108 service has returned in full strength.
The emergency ambulance service which was affected badly during a 22-day strike has started to restore itself since October first week.
According to the officials, a fleet of 642 ambulances was back on the street and each day rushing to the aid of at least 3,000 emergency cases within three minutes of receiving a call.
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After the strike which went on for 22 days, the operations were restored on October 3 and recovered quickly.
The total number of vehicles available with the service is 802 of which 752 were on use with the rest treated as stand-by and kept for maintenance.
At present 75 vehicles were up for refurbishing and another 53 off the roads for replacement of tyres.
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“This being emergency service, we do not try to take chances of any kind and keep the ambulances in right shape,” said M.S.R. Swaroop, Head – PPP & PR, A.P. Operations of the service.
The service is run by a staff of 4,300 with 90 per cent of it being field staff.
Each day the call centre receives around 30,000 to 40,000 calls, said Mr. Swarup adding,
“Of this, around 10 per cent turn out to be emergency related and we rush to the aid”.
Here in the city itself, the ambulances rush to about 500 odd emergency calls every day.
It is not only the medical emergencies and road accident, the service cover fire and police too.