Emergency Medical Services EMS Dial 108 Number

Emergency Medical Services EMS Dial 108 Number

AFTER remaining non-serious since launch of Dial 108 scheme - Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in the year 2005, Maharashtra Government has come out of deep slumber. In last seven years, over one lakh persons have lost their lives in road accidents in State and many of them due to delay in getting emergent medical aid. Now, State Government has decided to revive iis Dial 108 scheme.

Under the scheme, an accident victim was expected to be taken by a well-equipped ambulance from the accident spot to nearest hospital to save crucial time which often proves costly for any accident victim. In the year 2005. Maharashtra Government had decided to provide 937 ambulances throughout Slate. Fund of Rs 1.050 crore was to be provided for the scheme for five years under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). State Government had ousourced entire project to BVG India Limited. Initially, it was to begin in Mumbai. Thane. Aurangabad. Pune. Nashik. Pimpri-Chinchwad and Nagpur. To help accident victim, anybody near the accident spot has to dial 108 for an ambulance which was supposed to pick up the accident victim within 'golden hour'. The ambulances were expected to have Basic Life Support System and Advanced Life Support System (ALS). As per Government estimation, had this service began then it would have reduced mortality rate. An ALS vehicle was to cost Rs 32 lakh (Rs 14 lakh for vehicle and Rs 17 lakh for equipment). But the project never took off.

The scheme was announced during the wintersessionof Maharashtra State Legislature. Recently. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had a talk with some ministers including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The scheme never moved ahead from its initial 2005 model.

While talking to 'The Hitavada*. Ajit Pawar, said, "We reviewed the position and found that many times a vehicle hits a person and due to lack of timely medical help, the victim succumbs to injuries. Home Minister R R Patil told me thai 15,000 such person died last year which is a huge number. Why should such innocent accident victims suffer? Now. we have decided no such person shall die of want of emergency medical treatment."

Pawar also said. "Under this scheme, the ambulances will be operated through Global Positioning System (GPS) to track them."

Vishal Kumar and membersof the Black Gold City Youth Foundation of Chandrapur have been fighting since long to get the scheme launched as early as possible. As per their estimation. In all these years, in Chandrapur alone over 17,000 people have lost their lives.