K`taka partners NGO to initiate medical emergency project

The Karnataka government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Hyderabad-based Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) to roll out ‘Arogya Kavacha’, a scheme which provides free emergency services in the public private partnership (PPP) mode in rural and urban areas.

EMRI is a non-profit organisation founded and funded by B Ramalinga Raju, chairman, Satyam Computers and his family. The institute, by partnering the state governments offer professional emergency service through a call centre or response centre.

The state government as announced in this year’s Budget, the ‘Arogya Kavacha’ scheme — to provide free emergency services released Rs 10 crore to operationalise the scheme.

The public health and family welfare department is expected to provide 10 acres to EMRI for establishing a call centre, training facilities for drivers, train doctors, nurses and house a few offices associated with it.

The department is expected to bear the expenditure on the necessary equipment and material (software), equipped ambulances, running cost of the centre, human resources and for administrative expenditure.

Speaking to reporters after signing the MoU, Venkat Changavalli, chief executive officer, EMRI, said, “The institute is planning to cover the state in two phases. In phase I, setting up of 24x7 call centre with 75 seats and 150 ambulances to cover a few districts. In phase II, all the 29 districts will be operationalised with 517 ambulances.”

The government and EMRI will be launching the emergency response services (ERS) by integrating medical (hospitals, nursing homes), police (police stations) and fire services (taluk level) in the state from November 1.

Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, said, “This scheme is devised keeping in mind the 10,000 deaths every year in the state from accidents. ‘Arogya Kavacha’ programme aims to offer timely transport facility to shift the victims of accidents to the nearest hospital.”