Uttarakhand’s 108 ambulance service responds to an average of 379 emergency cases every day, helping transport accident victims, pregnant women and critically ill patients to hospitals. This amounts to around 16 cases an hour, highlighting the service’s role in the state’s emergency healthcare network.
According to the figures provided, the service handles approximately 138,369 cases annually. Road accidents account for 11,512 cases a year, or around 32 cases daily, involving patients who require emergency medical assistance and hospital transport.
Pregnancy-related emergencies account for a significant share
Pregnancy-related cases form a major part of the service’s workload, with 39,373 cases reported annually. Around 670 deliveries take place inside ambulances each year, reflecting the role of emergency transport in situations where reaching a hospital in time can be difficult.
The service also assists patients experiencing breathing difficulties, abdominal problems, heart-related conditions and strokes. The figures include 10,874 respiratory cases, 12,436 cases involving abdominal problems, 6,012 heart-related cases and 1,288 stroke cases annually. In addition, 2,719 cases involve sick infants aged between zero and one year.
Other reported categories include 8,757 cases involving injuries and 44,728 classified as other cases. The department’s figures list 126,857 cases across these categories, although this total differs from the reported annual figure of 138,369 cases.
State operates 272 ambulances
Uttarakhand has a fleet of 272 ambulances under the 108 service. Of these, 218 are Basic Life Support (BLS) vehicles and 54 are Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances.
Health Secretary Vinay Shankar Pandey said the process of expanding and upgrading the fleet was underway. According to him, ambulances that have completed their service life are being replaced with new vehicles.
Dehradun has the largest district fleet
Dehradun has the highest number of 108 ambulances, with 32 vehicles, followed by Haridwar with 29 and Pauri Garhwal with 28. Udham Singh Nagar has 25 ambulances, while Nainital has 23.
Chamoli and Tehri Garhwal have 22 ambulances each, followed by Uttarkashi with 19 and Pithoragarh with 18. Rudraprayag has 12 vehicles, while Champawat and Bageshwar have 10 each.
The district-wise figures account for 250 ambulances, which is 22 fewer than the reported statewide fleet of 272. The difference may reflect vehicles not included in the district table.
The 108 service remains an important link between patients and hospitals, particularly during road accidents, pregnancy-related emergencies and other medical crises requiring urgent transport.
