Every day in India, 24,012 patients die due to delay in getting medical help as ambulances are delayed due to traffic, and they are medically ill-equipped to help the critical patients. Drivers are not aware of giving way to the Ambulance, which results in ambulances getting stuck in traffic and lose the precious time of saving a patient’s life.
Ambulances were categorized as a transport vehicle, which created limitations in regulating ambulances and monitors their condition and services. RADHEE did advocacies with the MORTH – Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to bring the following changes.
Advocacies
- Inclusion in Motor Vehicle Act 2019 – Penalty for not giving way to Emergency Vehicle of Rs. 10,000 or six-month imprisonment or both.
- Enrolled the MORTH to add a categorization of the ambulance in the Vahan portal as per the equipment in the ambulance category A, B, C & D.
- Through the advocacy for having a detailed document of the ambulance specifications, MORTH developed AIS -125 Ambulance Code and categorized the Ambulances
- MORTH enrolled the Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) to develop the ambulance driver’s training program curriculum, including driving skills, giving first aid to accident victims and assistance to the paramedic in the ambulance, and the Qualification Pack required for jobs.
- Enrolled MORTH for mandating GPS in all the emergency vehicles (Ambulance and Fire Brigade) at the time of registration. And keep separate registration books for the ambulances.
Learners License
- Added the questions in the learner license online test on the causes of an accident, and how to help accident
- Added a compulsory question in the online learning license test on how to give way to the emergency vehicle
Advocacies in Maharashtra
- Released a Government Resolution for giving priority to the emergency vehicle and promoted a consistent message to prevent chaos, “Move Left and Drive Slow”
- Maharashtra Transport Department sent a letter to all the driving schools to teach every driver to “Give way to Ambulance – Move Left and Drive Slow”
- Enrolling the transport department of Maharashtra to do impact analysis of the Road Safety awareness program in association with the NGO
- For behaviour change of drivers and pedestrian, enrolled Maharashtra Transport department to do a series of workshops in each RTO with Reporters promoting Educative, Informative, and Analytic reporting
Outcome
Till September 2019, the statistics in Maharashtra were
- 14% reduction in road accidents
- 18% reduction in post-accident death