CATS ambulances remain elusive to Delhi public: ‘They’re always late’

Ground checks by HT found that the response time to an emergency still remains wildly variable.

The Delhi government’s ambitious free ambulance service under the CATS (Centralised Accident & Trauma Services) programme, which sought to decrease response time to emergencies, remains largely ineffective, with residents sharing concerns about a paucity of ambulances, lack of accountability from the helpline operators and long waiting times.

There are over 350 CATS ambulances in service. (HT Archive)

Ground checks by HT found that the response time to an emergency still remains wildly variable, mostly at the higher end of the average claimed by the authorities, besides other problems such as unresponsive helpline and erratic responses from respondents.

Between December 24, 2024 and January 25, multiple calls by HT to the 102 helpline set up for the purpose was met with a lack of response.

In one instance, when the call got through, the respondent refused to provide the service to the hospital of the caller’s choice. HT asked for the service up to GTB Hospital, where doctors were apprised of the issue and arrangement for a bed was in place, but was met with the response: “That is far and we can drop till Safdarjung hospital”.

The Delhi government launched the “Home to Hospital Care” scheme in 2015 and set up the 102 helpline, along with “Call 102” smartphone app, to ensure timely assistance.

Ambition vs ground reality

In the 2024-25 budget presentation for Delhi, minister Atishi highlighted this scheme as a source of significant achievement for the government, citing a purported reduction in ambulance response time from 55 minutes on average to just 15 minutes at present.

An RTI query in this regard filed by an activist on February 1, a copy of which was accessed by HT, the Delhi government replied that average response time of the CATS ambulance was 16.72 minutes.

In the budget speech, Atishi had also announced an allocation of ₹194 crore for purchasing new ambulances, which currently has a fleet of 380 vehicles. However, the RTI query ascertained that “presently CAT has a total fleet of 367 ambulances.”

However, residents alleged that the scheme was defunct, with calls to the helpline going unanswered and the phone app frequently malfunctioning.

Many relatives of patients told HT that when they were able to avail of the service, it took them at least 30 to 40 minutes to get an ambulance. They said that the “Call 102” app could not be found on the Google Play Store and highlighted that the ambulances were in poor condition.

Emergencies

In one instance, 39-year-old Pradeep Mann, a DTC driver, who leaves home around 4am every day, found two young men, suspected to be victims of a hit-and-run scrawled on the road at Mahadev Chowk in Rohini around 4.30am on January 20.

“I spotted them lying there in a pool of blood and immediately called the 102 helpline for an ambulance,” he said, adding that ambulances often lined up near Shahbad Dairy, which was just a few kilometres away.

However, much to his dismay, it took multiple calls and over 20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive at the spot. He said he also called the police control room for speedy action.

“During the day, ambulances often blame traffic for delays, but the truth is, even without traffic, getting an ambulance to arrive on time feels like a distant dream,” Mann said.

In a second incident in January, Suneeta (goes by a single name) and her husband were shopping at the community centre in Gokulpuri when a 60-year-old fruit vendor suddenly collapsed.

“My husband made the 102 call. And right from the start, our experience was harrowing. First the ambulance, which was coming from Yamuna Vihar, barely 10 minutes away, took 40 minutes to reach. Then when we asked for oxygen support for the patient, the attendant refused,” she said.

She said the vendor died before the ambulance could reach the hospital, leaving her distrustful of the ambulance service.