{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T17:20:07Z","timestamp":1787678407312,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["public health action"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>BACKGROUND<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>India\u2019s National Ambulance Service, a key component of the public health system, operates through 102, 108, and 112 hotline networks.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>OBJECTIVE<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To assess ambulance performance in terms of responsiveness, deployment, and utilisation. A descriptive study was conducted using ambulance records from two large states in India, Punjab and Haryana, from January to December 2025.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>RESULTS<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Of 626,372 hotline calls (72% from rural areas), 97% resulted in ambulance deployment, and 92% were utilised for patient transfers. 91% of ambulances reached the pickup location within 30 min (response time) and 67% transported patients to health facilities within 60 min (call-to-drop time). Median distance travelled by ambulance (parking to drop location) was 32 km (interquartile range 17\u201358). In Punjab, 50% of call-to-drop times were within 60 min, while in Haryana this was 74%. There were notable interdistrict variations in call-to-drop times. The most common reasons for hotline calls were maternal and obstetric conditions (37%), medical emergencies (27%), and trauma or accidents (17%). Inter-facility transfers accounted for 61% of ambulance utilisation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>CONCLUSION<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Our study demonstrates that ambulance services perform at a high level and provide substantial public health value. However, opportunities remain to further strengthen performance, particularly in reducing call-to-drop times.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.5588\/pha.26.0028","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T16:23:06Z","timestamp":1787674986000},"page":"188-194","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["The pre-hospital pulse: high responsiveness, deployment, and utilisation of ambulance services in India"],"prefix":"10.5588","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"M.","family":"Moonis","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"V.","family":"Madhur","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"S.","family":"Yadvinder","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"K.","family":"Anil","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"S.A.","family":"Parray","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"P.","family":"Thekkur","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"K.","family":"Rakesh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"K.","family":"Niraimathi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Z.","family":"Rony","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"A.","family":"Grover","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"3554","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2019-001963"},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12245-018-0207-6"},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.3","unstructured":"National Health Mission . ERS\/patient transport service. New Delhi, India: National Health Mission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. https:\/\/nhm.gov.in\/index1.php?lang=1&level=2&sublinkid=1217&lid=189 (Accessed 30 March 2026)."},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.4","unstructured":"Government of Haryana . Ready to dial: Haryana CM launches 112 - Emergency Response Support System (ERSS). Chandigarh, Haryana: Government of Haryana, 2021. https:\/\/hr.erss.in\/p\/pressreleasejuly2021.html (Accessed 30 March 2026)."},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.5","unstructured":"Punjab Health Systems Corporation, Government of Punjab I . Emergency Response Services (dial 108). https:\/\/phsc.punjab.gov.in\/en\/emergency."},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.6","unstructured":"Press Information Bureau Government of India . Update on National Ambulance Services (NAS) Scheme. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 2025. Vol. 1. https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2110385."},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.7","unstructured":"Comptroller and Auditor General of India . Report of the comptroller and auditor general of India on general and social sector for the year ended March 2019, Government of Karnataka: Report No. 3 of the year 2020. Chapter II: performance audit, Department of Health and Family Welfare Services, Arogya Kavacha - 108 project. New Delhi, India: Comptroller and Auditor General of India, 2020. https:\/\/cag.gov.in\/uploads\/download_audit_report\/2020\/Report%203%20of%202020_English-05fd1cdd9c123c4.02129258.pdf (Accessed 30 March 2026)."},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2471\/BLT.14.146571"},{"issue":"6","key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.9","first-page":"883","article-title":"Impact of referral transport system on institutional deliveries in Haryana, India","volume":"139","author":"Prinja","year":"2014","journal-title":"Indian J Med Res"},{"issue":"2","key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2380251","DOI":"10.1080\/23288604.2024.2380251","article-title":"Analyzing the Maharashtra Ambulance Service \u201c108\u201d: the prospect and challenges","volume":"10","author":"Sarkar","year":"2024","journal-title":"Health Syst Reform"},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12884-016-1113-7"},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2016-015077"},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0109911"},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/jp.2016.184"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"42","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-023-10454-2","article-title":"Indian Model of Integrated Healthcare (IMIH): a conceptual framework for a coordinated referral system in resource-constrained settings","volume":"24","author":"Mirza","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv Res"},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.16","unstructured":"Dhar M . Projection of district-level annual population by quinquennial age-group and sex from 2012 to 2031 in India. 3\u201310. Mumbai, India: IIPS, 2022."},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.17","unstructured":"Emergency - Punjab Health Systems Corporation, Government of Punjab, India. https:\/\/phsc.punjab.gov.in\/en\/emergency (accessed 27 March 2026)."},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.18","unstructured":"Pamplona JCL . WHO emergency care system framework. Geneva, Switzerland: Master of advanced study European and International Government, 2023, pp. 10-11."},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.19","unstructured":"72nd World Health Assembly . Emergency care systems for universal health coverage: ensuring timely care for the acutely ill and injured. 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Washington, DC: The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development\/The World Bank 2017.","DOI":"10.1596\/978-1-4648-0527-1_ch13"},{"issue":"Suppl 6","key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1486","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjgh-2019-001486","article-title":"Emergency care research as a global health priority: key scientific opportunities and challenges","volume":"4","author":"Razzak","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMJ Glob Health"},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(07)61602-X"},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-018-3091-0"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21239","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-023-48713-1","article-title":"Examining district-level disparity and determinants of timeliness of emergency medical services in Maharashtra, India","volume":"13","author":"Jana","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S1049023X17000061"},{"key":"2026082509225778000_16.3.188.27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.afjem.2013.01.001"}],"container-title":["Public Health Action"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.5588\/pha.26.0028","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T16:23:09Z","timestamp":1787674989000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.theunion.org\/lookup\/doi\/10.5588\/pha.26.0028"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]},"references-count":27,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,1]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]}},"alternative-id":["10.5588\/pha.26.0028"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5588\/pha.26.0028","relation":{},"ISSN":["2220-8372"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2220-8372","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]}}}