Shahin Bepari Lambe
Panaji
When every minute matters in an emergency, Goa’s 108 ambulance service has reduced its average response time from 14 minutes to 9.22 minutes, helping ambulances reach patients faster across the state.
Service head of the 108 Ambulance service in Goa Sushma Saini attributed the improvement to changes in ambulance deployment, technology-based dispatch and closer monitoring of field operations. The service has now set a target to further reduce its average response time to eight minutes.
Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) Green Health Services, in partnership with the Directorate of Health Services, Government of Goa, has been working to eliminate delays at every stage of the emergency response process. Ambulances are now strategically positioned at emergency hotspots based on case patterns and demand.
Additionally, the service introduced an auto-assignment system that identifies and assigns the nearest available ambulance, significantly cutting down call-handling and dispatch times.
The state command centre supports these efforts by providing real-time monitoring of vehicle movement, availability and response performance, allowing teams to quickly identify delays and take corrective action.
Under a strict 30-second mobilisation protocol, crews are instructed to start their vehicle within 30 seconds of receiving a case assignment.
To sustain these improvements, Saini said that continuous performance monitoring and staff counselling are used to identify lingering delays and reinforce best practices. High-performing staff members, particularly those handling critical, challenging emergency cases, are recognised and rewarded.
Saini said that every minute saved can be vital during a crisis. She said EMRI Green Health Services will continue to refine ambulance deployment, strengthen technology-based dispatch systems, monitor field performance and support its frontline teams to provide faster emergency medical care across Goa.
