KARACHI: Pakistan’s southern Sindh province is gearing up to deploy its first cohort of female bike ambulance responders, health authorities confirmed on Wednesday. The women will operate as part of a gender-inclusive emergency response team, riding specially equipped motorbikes to reach patients in hard-to-access areas where conventional ambulances often fall short.
The initiative, launched by Sindh Integrated Emergency and Health Services (SIEHS-1122), aims to improve access to pre-hospital care in congested urban neighborhoods where conventional ambulances are often delayed.
It also marks a move toward greater gender representation in emergency services, with female and male responders working in integrated teams across Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur.
“By the end of this quarter, 50 trained female responders will be deployed across Sindh — each stationed at designated take-off points to deliver swift care,” SIEHS said in a statement. “They’ll be riding 150cc bikes, not the usual 70cc — purpose-built vehicles fitted with essential life-saving equipment, communication devices, and emergency drugs.”
Medical care provider rides motor bikes in Karachi, Pakistan, on August 6, 2025. (Sindh Integrated Emergency and Health Services)
According to SIEHS, the responders underwent four weeks of field-based training in simulated emergency conditions, including drills and navigation under heat stress, to prepare them for rapid medical intervention in densely populated localities.
Each bike is equipped to function as a mobile unit for stabilizing patients prior to transport, and the service is expected to complement existing ambulance fleets already operating in the province under the 1122 emergency network.
The statement said the initiative will help Sindh join a growing list of jurisdictions worldwide adopting bike-based emergency models to shorten response times and expand coverage in urban and peri-urban areas.
SIEHS said the program builds on earlier initiatives, including the deployment of female ambulance drivers in Sanghar, and reflects ongoing efforts to improve community-level access to emergency care while promoting gender inclusion in public service roles.
