Mon Jan 12 13:52:08 UTC 2026: ### Headline: Coimbatore Ambulance Service Shows Improved Response Times Amidst High Emergency Case Load in 2025

The Story:

The 108 ambulance service in Coimbatore district, operated by EMRI Green Health Services (GHS) under the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project, demonstrated improved response times in 2025 compared to 2024. Response times for road traffic accident (RTA) emergencies decreased from 8.13 minutes to 7.41 minutes. Overall emergency response times also improved from 9.08 minutes to 8.43 minutes. The ambulance service handled a significant volume of 82,861 emergencies throughout the year, encompassing a wide array of medical situations from trauma and pregnancy-related issues to cardiovascular conditions and respiratory ailments.

Key Points:

  • Coimbatore’s 108 ambulance service improved RTA emergency response time to 7.41 minutes in 2025.
  • Overall emergency response time improved to 8.43 minutes in 2025.
  • A total of 82,861 emergencies were handled by the ambulance service in Coimbatore district during 2025.
  • EMRI Green Health Services operates 62 ambulances and four first responders in Coimbatore.
  • The service handled 3,42,784 vehicular trauma cases and 1,29,344 non-vehicular cases across Tamil Nadu.

Critical Analysis

The concurrent report of a Madhya Pradesh man’s body being burned in a Tamil Nadu forest because the family couldn’t afford ambulance costs presents a stark contrast to the positive performance metrics highlighted in the Coimbatore ambulance service report. While the Coimbatore district shows improvements in response times and handles a large volume of cases, the incident involving the man from Madhya Pradesh underscores potential systemic issues regarding accessibility and affordability of ambulance services for all populations, particularly those from out of state or with limited financial resources. This suggests that despite improvements in some areas, significant disparities in access to emergency medical services may still exist.

Key Takeaways:

  1. Improved response times in Coimbatore indicate enhanced efficiency of the 108 ambulance service in the district.
  2. The high volume of emergency cases handled underscores the crucial role of the ambulance service in Coimbatore and Tamil Nadu.
  3. The disparity in access highlighted by the related news item suggests that while response times improve, affordability remains a key challenge.
  4. Focusing solely on response times can mask underlying problems of unequal access and financial burden.
  5. Comprehensive healthcare policy should focus on improving the efficiency of care and address the issues of affordability.

    Read More