Call '108' ambulance to avoid hospitalisation delay: BBMP

People taking the rapid antigen test at primary health centres should call the government-run ‘108’ ambulance service because it has access to information about the availability of beds at hospitals, the BBMP has said.

BBMP Commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad said patients under home isolation were mostly calling private ambulances to go to hospitals after developing Covid symptoms. But private ambulances wouldn’t know where Covid beds are available, leading to delays in hospitalisation, he added.

Prasad said the ‘108’ ambulance service had been given access to information on bed availability. In other words, it’s better-placed to take patients to the right hospital.

The BBMP chief clarified that patients didn’t need the Bengaluru Urban code or the lab report for the hospital admission.