KARE Command Centre: Revolutionizing Pre-Hospital Emergency Management

Prior to establishing the centralized KARE Command Centre, pre-hospital emergency management faced critical operational and clinical challenges. Ambulance fleets operated in silos across regional units — leading to uncoordinated dispatch workflows and limited tracking. Paramedics in transit lacked direct, continuous access to Emergency Room (ER) physicians during critical emergency patient transfers. Traditional ambulances possessed no real-time telemetry capabilities to transmit vital health metrics or live clinical feeds back to receiving emergency departments prior to arrival. Services such as Tele-Emergency triage lacked unified dispatch oversight, limiting conversion rates and patient access. The average emergency response time was approximately 18 minutes, highlighting the need for a more coordinated and technology-enabled emergency response system.

Establish a single Command Centre to oversee ambulance dispatch, Tele-Emergency calls, and 5G telemetry across Chennai units. Implement 24/7 ER physician-led Tele-Emergency video assessments to initiate immediate clinical interventions before ambulance arrival. Enable live video connectivity and pre-hospital vital report generation inside ambulances to stream real-time data directly to ER teams via 5G technology. With improved operational coordination and technology-enabled processes, the average emergency response time has been reduced to 12 minutes. The ongoing objective is to further enhance emergency response capabilities by achieving a sub-10-minute scene arrival time for high-priority emergency calls, ensuring faster access to critical care and improved patient outcomes.

Centralized Command Architecture: The KARE Command Centre was operationalized as the central hub for the Chennai Region, integrating cloud telephony, patient vitals, and vehicle GPS tracking. A dedicated SOS button was launched in the Kauvery KARE Patient App, helping customers connect directly with emergency services through the app.

Tele-Emergency Triage & Clinical Escalation Workflow: Incoming emergency calls are routed to Command Centre ER physicians for instant video/audio triage. On physician approval, the team assigns ambulances equipped based on clinical assessment, such as NIV support for respiratory distress. On-scene paramedics conduct assessments under direct physician guidance prior to transport.

5G Telemetry & Digital Connectivity: Ambulances utilize high-speed 5G integration to stream live video consultations and synchronize digital vital reports to ER dashboards during transit.

1. Overall Trip Performance (Jan ’25 – Jun ’26)

Since implementation, the centralized command platform successfully assigned and managed 15,706 ambulance trips across the Chennai region.

A single-window Command Centre now handles all triage and dispatch. Integrating Tele-Emergency consultations, ambulance dispatch, and clinical coordination has streamlined the patient journey and eliminated fragmented workflows.

GPS allocation and real-time fleet tracking optimized vehicle utilization, reducing average emergency response times from 18 minutes to 12 minutes.

2. Tele-Emergency Performance (Jul ’25 – Jun ’26)

The centre conducted 398 video-assisted emergency consultations in Chennai.

Guided by an Emergency Command Centre Physician, these sessions enabled real-time clinical assessment and triage before the ambulance arrived.

Centralized video-assisted emergency consultations and GPS dispatch significantly improved call management, increasing the call conversion rate from 20% to 55% to ensure timelier ambulance services.

3. 5G Ambulance (Jan ’26 – Jun ’26)

The 5G Ambulance service at KCH generated 390 vital reports. Its integration with the Command Centre provided continuous, real-time video-assisted clinical support during patient transport for all eligible consultations.

Challenges

• Maintaining sub-10-minute arrival times during peak traffic periods.
• Sustaining uninterrupted 5G streaming across diverse geographic zones.

Critical Success Factors

• Kauvery KARE SOS: Helps customers directly reach the Emergency Command Centre without any lead or wait time.
• Direct ER Physician Video Triage: Enables immediate clinical decision-making.
• Real-Time 5G Vital Transmission: Allows ER teams to prepare appropriate bays in advance.
• Data-Based Decision-Making: Supports strategic positioning of ambulances in areas with maximum demand, helping reduce arrival times.
• Integrated Fleet Visibility: Provides integrated visibility across KCH, KVP, and KRR for maximum operational efficiency.

Analyzing emergency call patterns, patient volume, population density, and hotspot locations is critical for strategic ambulance placement and improving coverage across the service area. Live tracking of ambulances and continuous status monitoring enable better decision-making, efficient fleet utilization, and improved response management during peak demand periods.

Integrating SOS activation, video consultation, and ambulance services through digital platforms improves accessibility, builds patient confidence, and ensures timely medical assistance during critical situations.

Pre-hospital treatment (NIV, IV diuretics) significantly improves outcomes for acute cardiac emergencies.

Standardized digital reports and video logs strengthen interoperability between the KARE Team and ER.