On World Emergency Medicine Day, Apollo Hospitals Launches ‘Fleet of Hope’ to Raise Awareness on 1066 Emergency Services.
Spreading awareness through the flag-off of Chennai’s Largest Hospital Ambulance Fleet
Chennai, May 27, 2025: Apollo Hospital s, Chennai, marked World Emergency Medicin e Day with the launch of Fleet of Hope, an activity bringing 1066 Emerge ncy Services to focus. Through this cam paign, Apollo Ho spitals aims to encourage a behavioural shi ft—urging the public to call 1066 instead of driving loved ones to the hospital during em ergencies.
The premise of the campaign – “Why drive, when treatment can start at your doorstep ?” brings the ambulance to the spotlight not just as a means of transporta tion, but a tre atment system that starts early, right when it arrives at the doorstep of the patient. In cases such as stroke es, heart attacks, or serious injuries, delays without medical support can lead to serious consequences.
The awareness initiative kicked off with ‘Fleet of Hope’ – the flag-off of Chennai l argest hospital ambulance fleet. The ca mpaign was launched officially by Mr C hokkaya Assistant Commissioner of Police Triplicane Division (Traffic) who flag ged off the ambulances. He was joined b y Dr. Rohi ni Sridhar, Chief of Medical Services, Apollo Hospitals, Dr.IlankumaranKaliamoorthy, CE O-Chennai Region, Apollo Hospitals and D r.Dhavapalani A, Regional Clinical Directo r, Emergency Departments, Southern Region, Apollo Hospitals, Dr. Ramakrishna Vijay Va rma Group Head- Healthcare logistics, Apo llo Hospitals.
Dr. Rohini Sridhar, Chief of Medical Services -Hospital Division, Apollo Hospita ls, added, “World Emergency Medicine Day reminds us that we must act swiftly and decisively in a health emergency, as every second coun ts. Today, we are prou d to unveil ‘Fleet of Hope’, a landmark moment in our commitm ent to saving lives the instant a medical cri sis strikes. Wi th ambulances equipped with advanced life-support technology, we ensur e criti cal care begins the moment help arriv es. Ambulance personnel play a critical role in pre-hospital care by providing early com munication to the emergency depart ment regarding the patient’s condition.This allow s the hospital team to mobilise and prepare essential services such as radiology, Cathl ab and other necessary interventions in adv ance.”
Dr.Dhavapalani A, Regional Clinical Dir ecto r, Emergency Departments, Southern Regio n, Apollo Hospitals said, “These ambulance s are not just transport vehic les—they are mobile extensions of our emergency depart ment. With advanced diagnostic tools and seamless communi cation, we can begin lif e-saving treatme nt even before the patient reaches the h ospital. Our goal is to redefin e emergen cy response by delivering acces sible, res ponsive, and technology-driven e merge ncy healthcare directly to the patien t, wherever they are. Apollo Hospitals, Che nnai, continues to lead in emergency medic dical innovation. With the 1066 helpline and its expansive mobile response network, it plays a crucial role in delivering ti mely, life-saving care.
About Apollo Hospitals:
Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd. (Apollo) revolutionised healthcare when Dr. Prat hap Reddy opened the first hospital in C hennai in 1983. Today, Apollo is the world’s largest integrated healthcare platfor m with over 10,000 beds across 73 hosp itals, over 6,000 pharmacies, and over 2 500 clinics and diagnostic centers, as we ell as 500+ telemedicine centers. It is th e world’s leading cardiac center with ov er 200,000 surgeries and the world’s lar gest private cancer care provider.
Apollo continues to invest in research to bring the most cutting-edge technologie s, equipment, and treatment protocols to en sure patients have the best available care in the world. Apollo’s 100,000 family member s are dedicated to bringing you the best care and leaving the world better than we found it.