On World Emergency Medicine Day, Ap ollo Hospitals Launches ‘Fleet of Hope’ t o Raise Awareness on 1066 Emergency Services.
Spreading awareness through the flag-o ff of Chennai’s Largest Hospital Ambula nce Fleet
Chennai, May 27, 2025: Apollo Hospital s, Chennai, marked World Emergency M edicine Day with the launch of Fleet of Hope, an activity bringing 1066 Emerge ncy Services to focus. Through this cam paign, Apollo Hospitals aims to encoura ge a behavioural shift—urging the public to call 1066 instead of driving loved one s to the hospital during emergencies.
The premise of the campaign – “Why dri ve, when treatment can start at your do orstep?” brings the ambulance to the sp otlight not just as a means of transporta tion, but a treatment system that starts early, right when it arrives at the doorst ep of the patient. In cases such as stroke es, heart attacks, or serious injuries, del ays 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 Pol ice Triplicane Division (Traffic) who flag ged off the ambulances. He was joined b y Dr. Rohini Sridhar, Chief of Medical Se rvices, Apollo Hospitals, Dr. Ilankumara ran Kaliamoorthy, CEO-Chennai Region, Apollo Hospitals and Dr. Dhavapalani A, Regional Clinical Director, Emergency D epartments, Southern Region, Apollo H ospitals, Dr. Ramakrishna Vijay Varma G roup Head- Healthcare logistics, Apollo Hospitals.
Dr. Rohini Sridhar, Chief of Medical Ser vices-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 counts. Today, we are prou d to unveil ‘Fleet of Hope’, a landmark m oment in our commitment to saving live es the instant a medical crisis strikes. Wi th ambulances equipped with advanced life-support technology, we ensure criti cal care begins the moment help arrives. Ambulance personnel play a critical role in pre-hospital care by providing early c ommunication to the emergency depart ment regarding the patient’s condition.T his allows the hospital team to mobilise and prepare essential services such as r adiology, Cath lab and other necessary interventions in advance.”
Dr. Dhavapalani A, Regional Clinical Dir ector, Emergency Departments, Southe rn Region, Apollo Hospitals said, “These ambulances are not just transport vehic les—they are mobile extensions of our e mergency department. With advanced diagnostic tools and seamless communi cation, we can begin life-saving treatme nt even before the patient reaches the h ospital. Our goal is to redefine emergen cy response by delivering accessible, res ponsive, and technology-driven emerge ncy healthcare directly to the patient, w herever they are. Apollo Hospitals, Che nnai, continues to lead in emergency me dical innovation. With the 1066 helpline and its expansive mobile response netw ork, 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 worl d’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 t o ensure patients have the best availabl e care in the world. Apollo’s 100,000 fa mily members are dedicated to bringing you the best care and leaving the world better than we found it.
