Image used for representation
| Photo Credit: E. Lakshmi Narayanan
The 108 ambulance service has recorded a significant improvement in emergency response times across Tamil Nadu.
In Chennai, the average response time declined from 7.45 minutes in 2023-2024 to 6.14 minutes in 2026-2027 (till April). Across the State, the average response time also improved, falling from 13.24 minutes to 11.22 minutes during the same period.
EMRI Green Health Services, which operates the ambulance network through the Tamil Nadu Health System Project and Government of Tamil Nadu, runs a total of 1,353 ambulances across the State. There are 66 first responder bikes, a press release issued by its State Head of Operations M. Selvakumar, said.
The network has achieved a reduction in response time through a number of initiatives. This includes GPS fitment in all ambulances, based on the accident grid and cluster analysis and scientific deployment of ambulances. The response time in attending to emergencies by 108 ambulance associates have been reduced drastically, the release said.
At present, the average reach and response time for the ambulance services stood at 6.14 minutes for Chennai. It was 10.07 minutes for urban areas (11.47 minutes in 2023-2024) and 12.18 minutes in rural areas (14.15 minutes in 2023-2024). In tribal areas, the ambulance service clocked a response time of 14.23 minutes.
For road traffic accidents, the ambulances clocked an average response time of 9.48 minutes, a decline from 11.42 minutes in 2023-2024). Overall, the average response time for the State was 11.22 minutes.
Since its launch in 2008 to May 2026, the ambulance has reached out to 2,05,44,631 persons in emergencies. This included 47,73,823 pregnancy-related cases and 37,97,993 road traffic accident cases, the release said.
The ambulance service can be availed by calling the tollfree number ‘108’.
Published – June 07, 2026 12:21 am IST
