A video of a cycle ambulance on the streets of Karachi has gone viral on social media, turning Pakistan into a laughing stock on the internet. The clip drew a wave of sarcastic replies, with many users likening the pedal-powered emergency response vehicle to sophisticated medical transport systems, including air ambulances, flying intensive care units (ICUs) and other advanced emergency services used around the world.After some viral posts wrongly claimed that Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab had recently launched the cycle ambulance initiative, criticism mounted. The deceptive posts led to a flood of memes and jokes, with one social media user quipping, “Looks more like a medicine delivery service than an ambulance. Unless the patient is supposed to ride it after calling for help.”The cycle ambulance programme is not a new launch on these claims. The initiative was launched in May 2025 as a pilot project by the Sindh Integrated Emergency and Health Services (SIEHS-1122), also known as Rescue 1122, to improve emergency medical response in densely populated areas of Karachi.Welcome to the future, Pakistani style.The world is building flying ICUs. Karachi’s mayor is launching a cycle ambulance.Only in Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/zcRZ3ygXwT— OsintTV 📺 (@OsintTV) July 20, 2026The idea was born out of one of the city’s longest-standing problems: chronic traffic congestion and streets too narrow for regular ambulances to reach patients in time. With specially equipped bicycles, first responders can navigate busy neighbourhoods faster and provide immediate medical help before a full-sized ambulance can get there.Every mountain bike is equipped with vital emergency medical supplies, including first-aid kits, oxygen masks, nebulisers and blood glucose monitors. The responders are trained to give initial treatment, assess the health status of the patients and stabilise them until they can be transferred to a conventional ambulance for further treatment.Another highlight of the pilot project is that it is being run by trained female volunteers. This is part of the effort to strengthen emergency healthcare delivery while encouraging greater participation of women in frontline rescue and community health services. The video has been widely ridiculed on social media, but many users of social media have defended the initiative saying that the cycle ambulances offered a practical, cost-effective and innovative solution to providing prompt emergency care in areas where larger vehicles struggle to gain access.