Ola, a mobile app for transportation, has partnered with Apollo Hospitals, a healthcare services provider, to create a comprehensive medical program for driver-partners.
Under this program, Ola drivers will be equipped to provide medical assistance in case of on-road emergencies. Driver partners will be also be able to opt for a 'My Apollo Card' which will provide them with medical benefits, while Apollo Munich will entitle them to accident insurance at discounted rates.
The programme will be conducted in five cities including Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai and will be expanded to other cities over the course of the next few months.
Speaking on the partnership Pranay Jivrajka, COO, Ola said, "Lakh of people die in India every year due to lack of first response on the road. With our wide network of drivers across the country, we see that there is an opportunity to help provide assistance to millions of victims if our driver partners are equipped to administer first aid. With this tie-up with Apollo, we would essentially be ensuring that over 5.5 lakh drivers across the country are prepared to provide medical response in case of accident or emergency."
He further added, "Our driver partners spend several hours every day on the road and their health and well-being is important to us. By providing them with free basic health check-ups, medical benefit plans and accident insurance, we can work towards creating a robust driver ecosystem, giving our partners the means to take care of themselves."
"The Apollo Hospitals Group is a forerunner in integrated healthcare with a robust presence across the healthcare spectrum. We recognise the dire need for drivers on the road to be equipped to provide first aid in case of emergencies. Hundreds and thousands of people every year never make it to the hospital due to inadequate emergency response. In creating this training programme with Ola, we hope to create a safer on-road experience for drivers and commuters every day," said Dr Hari Prasad, President, Apollo Hospitals.
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Designed and modelled for Ola, the 'Lifesaver Training' program will equip drivers to provide emergency medical response on-road post which they will be provided with a medical kit for their Ola vehicles. The training session, conducted by an Apollo Emergency Specialist, will include training the drivers to provide first aid in case of trauma, arresting sudden chest pain or shortness of breath.
They will also be trained in providing CPR along with cardiac arrest and stroke management by assisting with basic life support including chest compressions. Apart from first aid, they will also be trained to transport patients to the nearest hospital or coordinate with an ambulance.
During the training, drivers will be taken through a free basic health check-up where their blood pressure, BMI and blood sugar will be tested. In addition, counselling sessions will be conducted to address specific issues. Post completion of training, drivers qualified as 'Lifesavers' will receive a certificate and a sticker for their Ola vehicles.