Karnataka teams up with Ola, Uber for non-COVID-19 emergencies

The Karnataka government has teamed up with Ola and Uber to ferry non-COVID-19 emergency supplies to hospitals amid lockdown. The state's health minister also shared the phone numbers (9154153917/18/19) to avail this emergency medical service.

Bengaluru:The Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Department has teamed up with ride-hailing platforms Ola and Uber to ferry non-COVID-19 emergency supplies to hospitals amid lockdown.

"The government has noticed that people, who are not infected, are inconvenienced by the lack of public vehicles to go to the hospital for treatment. To provide service in such an emergency, Ola and Uber have launched their services," tweeted Health Minister B. Sriramulu on Wednesday.

Sriramulu shared the phone numbers (9154153917/18/19) to avail this emergency medical service. The service can also be accessed through the apps.

"This facility is limited to the city of Bengaluru and I request the citizens to make use of it," the Minister said even as the companies plan to expand the service.

On Ola app, the service is available as Ola Emergency, which makes available cars equipped with masks and hand sanitisers.

According to Sriramulu, all 108 ambulances are being used in the fight against coronavirus, leaving other medical emergencies wanting for ambulances.

The service is being extended only for medical travel, which excludes COVID-19 and non-ambulatory cases.

(IANS Report)