The Auroville Ambulance: Service in Action

Two years ago, the Auroville Ambulance was purchased with funds from the cyclone relief fund. Today, the ambulance steadily continues to serve the community. Having attended to 98 patients in this time, the ambulance, on average, transports someone to hospital once every six days. The majority of these people are Aurovilians, with only 20 out of 98 non-Aurovilians. While the male to female ratio is roughly even, 62 out of the 98 people were above 60 years old.

The ambulance service is more complex than one might think. It involves a dispatcher available 24 hours a day, who receives emergency phone calls and notes down critical information about the patient. The dispatcher then determines whether the ambulance is necessary. If so, she calls both the on-call doctor and the ambulance driver, both of whom then make their way to the scene. On average, the Auroville ambulance arrives on the scene within 30 minutes of the initial call, compared to outside ambulances that can take a minimum of one hour. The ambulance then transports the patient to the most appropriate medical facility, given the injury or ailment.

The ambulance team is bound together by commitment and dedication. The team of five, including two doctors, Ruslan and Alexi, two nurses, Auradha and Nisha, and the ambulance driver, Alok, arranges a detailed weekly schedule to determine who will be on-call. Their work with the Auroville Ambulance is additional to their other jobs in Auroville. The team is also committed to keeping their training current, and has attended medical workshops together. This allows them to refresh and update their medical skills in specific areas, but also gives them a common language in which to communicate with each other more efficiently.

The Auroville Ambulance is largely self-supported. Its monthly budget is Rs 25,000, which includes ambulance maintenance and repair, petrol, and small maintenances for the team. Out of this, roughly Rs 19,000 is paid for by the ambulance service itself, which charges Rs 1500 to Aurovilians for a trip to the hospital, and Rs 5000 for guests. The Budget Coordination Committee provides an additional Rs 6,000-7,000 monthly to keep the service going.

The Auroville Ambulance team does face challenges, however, the largest one being its small team. The team is always seeking new team members who are reliable and have a deep, long-term commitment to the work. A medical background isn’t necessary (though preferred), as training can be provided.

Medical equipment on the ambulance itself also needs to be improved. For instance, the ambulance does not currently hold an AED (Automated External Defibrillator), a critical device that sends electrical shocks to patients whose hearts have stopped, allowing the heart to reestablish its rhythm. The cost, 2 lakhs for one device, is significant. Between the AED and other equipment needed, the total price tag comes to 3.5 lakh, so a fundraiser would be a welcome addition to the team.

Another challenge is the interface with the Auroville community. It is important, they say, for all Aurovilians to carry the Auroville Ambulance phone number on their phone (+91-9442224680). If you happen to be in a position where you’re making an emergency call, it’s critical that you try to answer all of the questions that the dispatcher is asking, as every piece of information is a clue to understanding the situation better.

In terms of feedback, the ambulance service receives positive feedback from the community. Appreciation goes a long way, they say, in making the work doable for the long term. The team is open to healthy dialogue about its services, and encourages any feedback to be sent to: [email protected].