More people used 108 ambulance services during Deepavali in Salem and Namakkal districts

On Deepavali day (October 20), more numbers of people availed themselves of the 108 ambulance services compared with normal days in Salem and Namakkal districts. This includes 12 cases of burns due to bursting crackers.

For the festival, the hot spot areas were identified with the help of police in Salem and Namakkal districts and ambulances were deployed there. The 108 ambulances were equipped with special first aid medicines and burn treatment kits. The staff in the 108 ambulances received training in handling burn victims and providing immediate first aid. About 50 ambulances were deployed in Salem district with more than 250 staff in 41 basic life support ambulances (BLS), seven advanced life support ambulances (ALS) and two bike ambulances.

On Deepavali, a total of 307 cases, including 108 accident cases, five respiratory issue cases, 36 assault cases, 25 self-fall cases, seven accidental poisoning cases, and six burns (wounded in bursting crackers), used the ambulance services. On a normal day, 108 ambulances carried 200 cases.

Similarly, in Namakkal district, 26 ambulances were deployed in hot spots (18 BLS ambulances and 8 ALS ambulances). On Deepavali day, a total of 198 cases were attended by 108 ambulance services, including 77 accident cases, 10 respiratory issue cases, 19 assault cases, 15 self-fall cases, seven accidental poisoning cases, and six burn cases. On a normal day, the ambulances attended 96 people.

District Manager of 108 ambulance services T. Arivukkarasu said that on Deepavali, 12 burn cases were attended by the ambulance services in Salem and Namakkal districts and all the patients were saved.