Mangalore: The 108 Emergency Ambulance that Government Wenlock Hospital advertises on walls in large letters has no local driver who knows Mangalore roads and lanes by heart, and he takes his own time to reach Rao & Rao Circle from Jyothi Circle where he is confused at Cross-roads, and cannot reach his destination told over the phone.

On Tuesday, a young lady of 20 was shivering with fever and needed help at Rao and Rao circle. A senior Journalist gave her tea and snacks, called108 at 10 in the morning, and was told the van would be at the spot in 15 minutes. Onlookers started taking note of the crucial situation.

There is hardly a half mile from Hospital at Hampankatta to the circle near Bus stand. The Journalist rang up the police. After 30 minutes, the Hospital staff rang back to tell him whether he still wonted the 108 which had gone somewhere else on duty. The Journalist was made to give the address to the call centre in Bangalore. It was doubtful it the Government hospitals had more than one 108 vans to attend 2 or more cases. The driver did not know the route to take the patient at Rao& Rao Circle in City. What could happen it things were not in proper places? Later, the lady was admitted to Hospital in an hour.