The Bombay City Ambulance Corps

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CORPS 1930 - 2011

For rendering ambulance service to wounded freedom fighters during the "Satyagraha" movement of Gandhiji, the Corps was established on 2nd June 1930 as a registered public charitable Trust with the objects of ambulance education and medical relief to the sick and injured in the City and Suburbs.
The volunteers of the Corps performed the first field service on January 26, 1931 the first Independence day. Thereafter, they have been at the back and call of the citizens - to record a few instances :

80 hours of field duty during 1932 riots - treating 450 casualties and rescuing 200 persons.
A.R.P. duties during World war II
First to reach the scene of Churchgate house collapse tragedy in June 1942.
Services during quit India Movement - August 1942 disturbances and mobilisation of Subhash day disturbances, R.I.N. action, and riots.
Riot duties for 87 days in 1941
Routine Medical Care
Work during Docks explosions of April 1944
Transporting sick refugees arriving in the Docks after the Partition in August 1947
55 hours of field duty during disturbances following the death of the Father of the Nation on January 1930, 1948
Duties during the Chinese aggression of November 1962 and during two conflicts with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971.
Duties at Congress Sessions during Centenary Celebration held on 27th to 29th December 1985.
Public duties to cover Gopal Kala, Ashadhi Ekadashi mela, Ganpati Visarjan festivals.
Conducts one day seminars on Fundamentals of First Aid, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, Disaster Management etc.
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Why Choose us

The Free First Aid and Ambulance Service station of the corps is functioning since 1939 for round the clock services of removing patients, field duties in all emergencies and casualty work. Till March 31, 2004 the total number of services rendered by the Service Station aggregated 76,976. At present Ambulance services are available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. except on Sundays and Government holidays.

In recognition of the Corps’ work, the state government granted, in 1950, a plot of land at Marine Lines, admeasuring 2,552 sq.yards, for constructing thereon the Corps’ Head Quarters and Service Station Buildings and contributed Rs.66,656/- towards their cost. The High court also gave a donation of Rs. 33,000/- for the Building fund from the Haji Gulam Mohmed Ajam Charity Trust.

UNTIL 2019, 13 ambulance cars have been used at the service station; the last one (Nos. 13) is at present in service. Of these, Cars Nos. 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 11 were donated by the Shirolkar Trust, Bai Ratanbai Harichand, Shri Chandulal H.Shah, The Rotary club, Mrs. Sumati Bhatt, Verma Trust, Late Major Batuk H. Mehta and respectively. Car No. 12 is donated by Rotary club of Mumbai South. Car 13 is purchased out of New Ambulance Car fund of our society.

Each Volunteer undergoes theoretical and practical training, spread over five years, on every Saturday and Sunday, in First Aid, Home Nursing, Hygiene, Sanitation and Basic Civil Defence, including camping, scout craft and casualty work at the J.J.Hospital at the end of the course he/she is awarded the “Diploma in Ambulance Work”. Besides, classes in First Aid are also conducted for outside students.

In December 1977, the Managing Committee of the Society decided to establish a “College of Ambulance” under the auspices of the corps in accordance with the Scheme framed by it. The Government of Maharashtra in the Public Health Department accorded recognition to the College of Ambulance and in token thereof sanctioned the payment to the Society of a token fixed grant of Rs.20,000/- per annum towards the maintenance of the College for an initial period of five years. The College was formally inaugurated by the Honourable Chief minister of Maharashtra state on June 3, 1978. The grant has been increase by the Government to Rs. 30,000/- per annum since 1983, on permanent basis.

IN August 1979 the Trustees of Sir Dorabji Tata trust, Bombay, paid to the Society the munificent donation of Rs.2,00,000/- on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee (1980) of the Corps, as a permanent Endowment toward meeting the running expenses of the College out of its interest income. With a view to association the name of the great industrialist and philanthropist of our Country, Sir Jamsetji Tata, with the College, the Managing Committee of the Society decided, on 25th August 1979 to name the College as “Jamsetji Tata Ambulance College”. Over the years, till 1992 the TATA Trust have given additional Rs.4,00,000/- as endowment for expenses of the College.

UNTIL, the end of December 2019 the College has conducted over 450 Specialist Instructors’ and Basic Coursed. The total number of students who have qualified as Specialist Instructors in First Aid and Home Nursing over 1000; the number of those who passed in different basic courses was 1200. Over 350 seminars on Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation and fundamentals of First Aid have been conducted. Over 2500 people participated in these seminars.