Ola launches free mini-ambulance service for non-COVID-19 medical emergencies in Delhi

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New Delhi: Taxi aggregator Ola on Saturday (April 25) rolled out its service in the national capital in partnership with the health department of the city-state to bolster the capital’s ambulance network. 

The company’s fleet will be used as mini-ambulances which will enable citizens in Delhi to access essential medical care with minimum delay. This free of cost service, available for non-coronavirus medical emergencies, is aimed at providing a solution to the supply shortage of essential medical transportation. The service can be enabled by calling the Delhi health ministry team on 102. The caller will be allocated a cab to be transported to a hospital they wish to.

The unicorn said it is providing this transport service for all non-COVID medical trips such as scheduled check-ups, dialysis, chemotherapy and for immediate medical needs such as injuries, amongst others. The company said it is facilitating a clean and safe ride experience by ensuring that all earmarked cabs are equipped with essential protective equipment like masks and sanitizers and are operated by specially trained driver-partners following proper sanitary measures as per the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health.

Anand Subramanian, spokesperson and Head of Communications, Ola, said, "We are grateful to the Delhi government for this collaboration and the opportunity to enable mobility support for the state’s healthcare system amidst the ongoing crisis. Access to healthcare, especially for non-COVID related emergencies is becoming a major challenge in our cities. Through this initiative, we will be able to supplement the existing ambulance network with access to quick and safe mobility for anyone in need, to get to the hospital. We are also partnering with state governments across the country and will continue to support them with their emergency response efforts."

Ola has also collaborated with the Ministry of Health, Karnataka and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to provide essential mobility services in Bangalore and Mumbai respectively by ferrying medical staff, healthcare workers and paramedical staff from homes to hospitals.

The company has rolled out its new category, ‘Ola Emergency’ which will provide transport for medical trips to and from hospitals across 15 cities including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Gurugram, Vizag, Nashik, Varanasi, Indore, Bhopal, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala, Mohali, Rourkela and Bhubaneswar.