Indore:  The 108 emergency response services are apparently making a contribution towards bringing down the infant mortality rate (IMR) in rural areas of Madhya Pradesh. It is in fact a boon to the common man to take care of their health problems.

In an emergency, everyone wants to help the victim. If an emergency occurs, then people immediately rush to the spot, to help and provide medical help as soon as possible so that the live is saved. Every second in emergency counts and demands the appropriate medical help. The situation is so sensitive, that even a single wrong move can result to death of a person or to a life long disability. In this sensitive and urgent situation do we think, even for a second that is it the appropriate help that we are providing, will it lead to a death of a person or a life long disability?

In most of the road or serious domestic accidents, a spinal injury or a fracture or internal injury is suspected. In order to provide a medical help urgently to the victim, he is picked-up immediately and is taken to the hospital in auto or private vehicle. Was even a single thought given on that was done? If not, then its time to think.

The entire process was very risky. If the spinal cord gets broken because of not handling properly, then the victim will be on a wheel chair forever. Similar is the case of a fracture and internal injuries which if not handled properly will lead to life long disability.

Reaching to hospital will take sometime and in the private vehicle or in an auto no pre-hospital care facility is available. Also if the vehicle or auto gets stuck in traffic, time to reach hospital increases. As time passes by with no pre-hospital care, the condition of victim becomes more critical and if the victim is mishandled then the chances of life long disability is higher. So a wise decision is important in an emergency.

Mr Parag V Pande, Operation Head, GVK EMRI Madhya Pradesh says “

The quality of 108 ERS has two dimensions — one is the promptness with which the ambulance arrives and the second is the care provided en route. In the latter there is investment in training a cadre of paramedical staff and equipping the ambulances with all necessary consumables and equipment, including five types of stretchers and a wheel-chair. Every aspect of quality of care during transport before reaching a health facility is taken care of. Then there is a documented and verifiable system in place for measuring the time taken from the moment of receiving the call to the moment of reaching the patient and the time taken to deliver the patient to the facility. This system is well monitored and supervised in a control room at Bhopal”.

108  can be dialed from landline and mobile without adding any code. On dialing 108, ambulance of 108 reaches the scene. In an ambulance there is a paramedic to provide appropriate medical help and handles the victim carefully. The 108 ambulance is fully equipped with all the medicines and equipments which are required in an emergency. The victim is then taken to hospital and on the way medical help is given in the ambulance itself”.

With pre-hospital care, a life can be saved even in a critical condition. So if there is an emergency call 108 and wait till the ambulance to reach. Taking a victim into an ambulance is a wise decision. So instead of rushing the victim from a private vehicle or auto, it is smart to wait for 108 ambulance”.

GVK EMRI has its footprints across India and its operations span the states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Assam, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.