With ambulances on strike, Delhi Police vans come to rescue of 5 women in labour

In July, ambulance services were hit after workers protested demanding permanent jobs from the government.

With ambulance operations yet to reach full potential since last month’s strike, police vans responded to calls for help from five women in labour on Friday and Saturday in different parts of the city.

With ambulance operations yet to reach full potential since last month’s strike, police vans responded to calls for help from five women in labour on Friday and Saturday in different parts of the city. (HT Photo)

In July, ambulance services were hit after workers protested demanding permanent jobs from the government.

According to the deputy commissioner of police (PCR) Shankar Choudhary, they received a call at around 8.45 am on Friday reporting that a woman was struggling with labour pain at Rajokri, south Delhi. “One of the PCR Vans deployed nearby realised the sensitivity of the matter and rushed to the spot. The woman and her family said that because of the strike of ambulance services they could not take her to hospital. Our staff then took the woman to Dada Dev Hospital for the required medical attention,” the DCP said.

Choudhary said that same day, they received another call reporting a similar case. One of the PCR vans responded and the woman was moved to hospital. During the early hours of Saturday, around 2.45 am they received another call reporting another woman in labour pain. A PCR van immediately rushed her to Safdurjung Hospital. Later in the day, another call was received from Badpoola and the patient was rushed to Rao Tula Ram hospital.

Apart from these, officers posted in a PCR van saved a 40-year-old mentally challenged man who attempted to jump into a drain on Saturday

“Our staff from a PCR van rushed and prevented him from taking the extreme step. His family was alerted and he was taken home. Apart from this, alert PCR teams also caught two men who were spotted with stolen motorcycles in Tughlakabad and Okhla. Further, overnight patrolling led to recovery of three stolen cars and 11 two-wheelers from different areas, all between Friday and Saturday,” he said, adding that a thief and a pick pocket was also arrested between the same period, all because of the alertness of PCR vans.

The DCP added that two missing toddlers spotted wandering in Mukherjee Nagar and Hardev Nagar were also reunited with their families on Saturday.