Uber India partners BMC to automate ambulance services in Mumbai

Under criticism for delays being faced by patients in getting ambulance services amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the financial capital's civic body has tied up with ride hailing app Uber to automate public ambulance service.

The local media has been highlighting delays faced by patients, and the absence of an integrated system dashboard which can help citizens avail ambulance services.

Mumbai is the virus hotspot in the country, contributing to nearly a fifth of the overall cases. The city has had over 41,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases as of Wednesday, and over 1,368 deaths.

According to reports, hospitals are operating at near-full capacity and lack of timely medical attention is aggravating problems.

Referring to the partnership as a "pilot", the app in a statement said that Uber will help automate BMC's (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's) ambulance dispatch system, allowing it to optimise and dispatch the nearest ambulance, effectively track all trips in real-time and share status of dispatches with hospitals for effective queue management and preparedness.

Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said the technology can help optimise ambulance dispatch and monitor the movement of vehicles, allowing the civic body to better serve medical needs of Mumbai's citizens.

Uber India's director of operations and head of cities Prabhjeet Singh said this partnership is company's contribution to support the city, and exuded confidence that the platform will help facilitate more efficient and timely services for city's residents.

Uber will also provide all BMC ambulance drivers with technical and functional training to familiarise them with app usage and map navigation to optimise travel time on the road.

Special training to access Uber's technology tools and software will be given to authorised representatives from the BMC to effectively view, dispatch and coordinate incoming ambulance requests, it said.