The emergency service has placed 6,000 staff on standby to manage a projected 20 per cent rise in medical calls.
The Gujarat 108 emergency service has prepared a response plan involving 1,500 ambulances and 6,000 employees to manage the Diwali, New Year, and Bhai Dooj period, according to reports from Urban Acres and Bhaskar English.
The service anticipates that daily emergency calls could climb to 7,500 from the usual 5,500 to 6,000, representing a 20 per cent increase. This rise is expected due to potential burns, road accidents, falls, and poisoning during the five- to seven-day festival period.
Jaswant Prajapati, CEO of the Gujarat 108 emergency service, said the organisation performs scientific analysis to identify likely emergency types in specific districts. He stated that the service uses a 'Google hotspots' approach to reposition ambulances closer to high-risk areas to reduce response times.
Prajajapati noted that response times have improved from 15–16 minutes to 11–12 minutes through the integration of ambulances from primary and community health centres, with urban response times falling below 10 minutes.
The 112 integrated emergency service, which combines police, fire, medical, and disaster-management resources, will also remain operational. The 108 service has arranged extra staffing, medicine supplies, and maintenance to ensure continuity, as some private hospitals and doctors may be unavailable during the festivities.
