The Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) will be responding to trauma calls to the toll-free number 108 in Madhya Pradesh soon. EMRI, which was established in April 2005 as Public Private Partnership, provides comprehensive emergency management services for medical, police and fire using a single three-digit toll-free number 108.
According to a press statement issued on Tuesday, Union Telecom minister A Raja has indicated to Health minister Anbumani Ramadoss that 108 is being finalized as the national toll free trauma care number to the institution. Work is progressing on a fast pace and the number 108 could soon become India's version of 911—the number that US citizens dial for emergency services, the release added.
According to the press release, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Uttarkhand are already using 108 as the emergency toll free number. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu recently signed a MoU with the Institute for this purpose. States like J&K, Assam, and Kerala too are finalizing plans for designating 108 for all emergency purposes.
"Once a caller dials 108, a 24 hour call-center will receive the information, locate an ambulance closest to the emergency spot through GPRS technology and dispatch it within the golden hour,” said the released statement.
When a call is received through 108 reporting an emergency, the call receiver at the Emergency Response Center (ERC) gathers the necessary information, regarding the type of emergency, the location of the emergency scene, whether the call is from a district, mandal, city, or town—the exact location along with the nearest landmark. After gathering the information, the Dispatch Officer in the Emergency Response Center dispatches an ambulance, fire engine or a police squad, depending on the type of emergency.
Source-Medindia
THK/L
