Rescue 1122 or Private Ambulance: Which One Should You Call?

Someone in the family is unwell and you need an ambulance. Two names come to mind. Rescue 1122, and a private ambulance service. So which one should you call?

The honest answer is that both have a job, and they’re not really the same job. Here’s a simple way to think about it.

What Rescue 1122 is for

Rescue 1122 is the government’s free emergency service in most of Pakistan. They respond to accidents, fires, sudden collapses and other emergencies, and take the patient to the nearest suitable hospital. They do very important work and save a lot of lives.

If there’s a road accident in front of you, someone has collapsed on the street, or there’s a fire, call 1122. That’s exactly what they’re there for.

What a private ambulance is for

A private ambulance like Doctor Ambulance does emergencies too. But a big part of our work is the kind of trip a government emergency service usually isn’t set up for. For example:

• Shifting a patient from one hospital to another
• Taking a patient home after discharge
• Moving a ventilator or ICU patient with full equipment
• Long trips, like Rawalpindi to Lahore or Islamabad to Peshawar
• Booking ahead for a scan, dialysis or treatment visit
• Dead body transfer to the family’s hometown

In these cases you usually want a specific type of vehicle, at a specific time, going to a specific place. That’s where a private service fits.

Quick guide: who to call

Road accident or fire? Call 1122.

Someone collapsed and isn’t breathing? Call whoever can reach you fastest. Don’t waste time choosing.

Father needs to move from a small hospital to a bigger one with an ICU bed? A private ICU or ventilator ambulance makes sense.

Mother is being discharged and can’t sit in the car? Book a private patient transfer ambulance.

Patient needs to go to another city? Private ambulance, booked with the right equipment.

What about cost?

Rescue 1122 is free. A private ambulance charges, and the price depends on the type of vehicle and the distance. We tell you the cost on the phone before you book, so there’s no surprise later.

Save both numbers

The best thing you can do today, before any emergency, is save both numbers in your phone. 1122 for accidents and street emergencies. And ours, 0336 291 4741, for patient transfers, ICU trips and intercity travel. When something happens at 2 a.m., you won’t have time to search.

We run 24/7 in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi and other cities. You can also reach us on WhatsApp.