GPS tracking of ambulances for better management of COVID patients

Bhubaneswar: Putting technology to use for better COVID management and quick transfer of patients to the dedicated COVID hospitals (DCH) and COVID care centres (CCC), the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started GPS tracking of the emergency vehicles.

While the city authorities have a fleet of 64 ambulances under the COVID management programme, 40 has already become GPS enabled and the rest will be fitted with the traking devices very soon.

Bhubaneswar Smart City Ltd (BSCL) is looking after the technological updradation part of the ambulances engaged on COVID duty.

When a patient is referred for shifting to a DCH or CCC after due tele-consultation at BMC COVID care 24×7 Helpline “1929”, operating from Smart City office, BMC allocates an available bed in one of the COVID hospitals or CCC.

An ambulance is alerted to pick the patient from his/her residence. These ambulances are now fitted with onboard GPS units for real time tracking. This provides an estimated time of arrival of the ambulance to the patient’s residence just like we know the location of a taxi when we book through various Apps on our mobile phones providing taxi rental services.

It would be pertinent to mention here that out of 64 ambulances 3 each are with respective 3 administrative zones under BMC. This number will be increased by 7 in each zone making availability of 10 ambulances at each zone under the zonal control room for ambulance operation.

In fact, presently there is an ORS officer, one ASO and one DEO to coordinate the ambulance availability at zonal level under BMC.

Similarly, rest of the 34 ambulances are at Capital Hospital in the heart of the city under a Central Ambulance Control Room. It is coordinated by an OAS officer. However, other supporting staff include an AYUSH doctor, an ASO, and an DEO for the coordination activities. The supporting staff work in three shifts for the ambulances at the Capital Hospital.