‘Ola Emergency’ launched in Vizag for essential medical trips

  • Ola has mapped over 50 hospitals in the city to provide the service
  • The company has collaborated with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to provide transport for medical trips that are non-COVID and do not require an ambulance
Vizag, April 9, 2020: Ola, India’s leading mobility platform and one of the world’s largest ride hailing companies, today announced the launch of ‘Ola Emergency’ on its app to enable essential medical trips on its platform in collaboration with the Government of Andhra Pradesh. The new category will provide convenient and safe transport to citizens who need to access a hospital for medical purposes.
 
‘Ola Emergency’ is available in Vizag starting today with a network of cars that are equipped with masks and sanitizers and will be operated by specially trained drivers. Citizens can book a cab from their app by selecting the “Ola Emergency” category and enter the drop location from a list of available hospitals in the city. Ola has mapped over 50 hospitals to its app to provide the service and ensure cabs are used only for essential medical travel.
 
Speaking on ‘Ola Emergency’ services, Anand Subramanian, Spokesperson and Head of Communications, Ola, said, “"We are thankful to the Government of Andhra Pradesh for giving us an opportunity to serve the people in these tough times. With over 50 Hospitals in the city mapped, 'Ola Emergency' will be a convenient and safe transport to thousands of citizens in Vizag for medical trips that do not require an ambulance. This includes scheduled medical appointments such as dialysis, chemotherapy, immediate medical attention for injuries or other non-COVID related issues.”
 
He further added, “All drivers on the network are trained to follow proper sanitary measures, including wearing masks and having hand sanitizers in the cars. We will work closely with the Government to ensure maximum number of people can avail the service and get access to essential medical care."
 
Ola is working with the authorities to ensure the service is used only for medical travel that is non-COVID and doesn’t require an ambulance including scheduled check-ups and physical injuries among others. Customers will be charged a nominal fare to compensate driver-partners for their services.
 
Vizag is the second city after Bengaluru where Ola has launched the Emergency category in. The company has been collaborating with various Government stakeholders to help ferry senior citizens in need of medical support. Through ‘Ola Foods’ the company has been supporting various efforts to provide migrant workers with quality, hygienic food in Bengaluru. Additionally, Ola Foundation, the social welfare arm of the company, had recently launched the ‘Drive the Driver Fund’ to support cab, auto-rickshaw, and kaali-peeli taxi drivers across the country, through contributions from the Ola Group as well as a crowdfunding platform for citizens and institutions.

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