Gurugram to link pvt hospitals, ambulances with 112 helpline
In a first-of-its-kind initiative in Haryana, the Gurugram traffic police will integrate private hospitals and ambulance operators with the Dial-112 police control room to ensure immediate medical response during the 'golden hour' following road accidents, officials said. The move, to be implemented within a fortnight, aims to reduce fatalities by speeding up rescue and treatment efforts.
'The aim is to bring down fatalities by providing an injured person immediate medical attention, for which the central government's scheme of cashless treatment of up to ₹1.5 lakh at empanelled hospitals is already available,' said Rajesh Kumar Lohan, deputy commissioner of police (traffic).
Lohan chaired a meeting on Monday at the Traffic Tower in Sushant Lok Phase I, Sector 43, attended by over 50 representatives from private and government hospitals and ambulance operators. Under the plan, mobile data terminals will be installed at hospitals, enabling real-time alerts from the police about nearby accidents. 'We will ensure that the nearest hospital swings into action,' Lohan said.
Officials added that the Gurugram traffic police are coordinating with the state health department and district administration to persuade more non-empanelled hospitals to join the scheme. Currently, more than 50 private hospitals in Gurugram are empanelled under the Centre's scheme, which has already benefitted over 250 accident victims in the city since it was implemented in March this year.
'We hope to bring more private agencies under the Ayushman Bharat scheme to strengthen the system,' Lohan said. A standard operating procedure (SOP) will also be framed to ensure periodic inspection of ambulances and verify the availability of life-saving equipment and medicines.
Hospital representatives raised several operational challenges, which officials said will be addressed promptly. In 2024, Gurugram recorded 1,024 road crashes, including 456 fatal accidents that claimed 478 lives. 'Even a single death ruins a family's future. We need to make our rescue systems more effective and roads safer,' Lohan said.
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