GVK EMRI service hits bumpy road in Chhattisgarh

The GVK's EMRI (Emergency Management and Research Institute) service in Chhattisgarh had landed in controversy with allegation that the state government floated the norms to award contact to the company.

Popularly known as 108 ambulance service, EMRI is one of the most important social initiatives of the GVK Group. It is a non-profit organisation and works on Public Private Partnership model. The trouble for the GVK EMRI started with the employees that include ambulance crew and medical assistant going on an indefinite strike a month ago.

Though the state government had termed the strike as illegal and declared it an emergency service, the issue could not be resolved. The Opposition Congress came out in support of the employees and levelled serious allegations over the process of awarding the contract.

"The state government selected the company even before completing the tender process and included clauses to help the company," Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Bhupesh Baghel said. The state required 240 ambulances while the tender was invited for operation of 1500 ambulances, he said, adding that the clause was included to help the company.

The Opposition leaders charged that the local youths were retrenched to facilitate employing people from the company's native state, which resulted in resentment and strike.
 

The GVK EMRI officials said that the company was awarded the contract after completing the formalities with full transparency and within norms. The 108 ambulance service had attended 1.1 million medical emergencies in the state till now, they added.

The service is spread across 15 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam, Meghalaya, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kerala and two Union Territories (Diu Daman and Dadra Nagar Haveli).