Bio-wise and otherwise

Dial 108 for Help

 In India, there is no single number like 9-1-1, no single agency to coordinate emergency responses, and no specific standards existing for ambulances. Eighty six thousand people are killed due to accidents, since the time taken for an accident victim to arrive at the hospital often exceeds 30-40 minutes.

Only fifty percent of ambulances are said to be possess acute care facilities to keep an accident victim alive while being transported to a hospital.

This was probably why Mr. Ramalinga Raju, chairman of Satyam Computer Services Ltd., decided to start the EMRI, a non-profit organization.

The Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) has aspired to provide comprehensive emergency management services in India (in the state of Andhra Pradesh) using 108- a single, toll-free number.

The system is designed for handling upto 200,000 emergency calls per day.

The number 108 is used as the centralized helpline for Medical, Police and Fire emergencies and is accessible from both fixed and mobile phones.

Emergency Management requires the integration of three cardinal pillars: Sense, Reach and Care. The Sense paradigm of Emergency Management involves  receiving information regarding the emergency. The 108 call is received by a Communication Officer who collects and records all facts regarding the emergency. Technology plays an important role in the 'sense' wing of the Emergency Management by providing state of the art CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) solutions for receiving 108 calls and recording the information.

In the Reach paradigm, reaching a victim in case of medical emergency is crucial. The Advanced Life Saving (ALS) ambulances are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities that can help save many a life. They are reputed to be  as good, if not better than the 911 ambulances of the US Care. Each ambulance is accompanied by a trained EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) who is responsible for pre-hospital care while transporting the patient to the appropriate hospital. An EMT can also conference (via cellphone) with an Emergency Response Care Physician.

 The Emergency Response System was created using the Microsoft .Net technology. It is a complex software that integrates with many third-party systems involved in emergency services. A shared third party mail server with SMTP service provides the gateway for sending email messages for the core application.

The dispatching system uses the help of GIS and AVLT (a system that tracks the ambulance as it moves) for dispatching the service. The EMRI Call Center handles over 13,000 calls a day of which at least 500 are emergency cases.

One of the goals of the EMRI is conducting applied research and publish research papers for prevention and better management of emergencies.The Institute also wants to maintain a Knowledge Management Portal and regularly bring out the Indian Emergency Journal.

Currently, the EMRI has deployed 380 state- of -the- art ambulances in 50 towns completely, and has saved more than 11,500 lives.

Taking the technology a step further to bridge the digital divide, the ambulances will also be modified to suit the rural needs by including emergency care for snake bites, pregnancies and accidents.

Here is one splendid example of technology coming to the aid of the common man. And what better way is there to be of service to mankind, than caring for the health of the masses?

Satyam Computer Services Ltd. is a strategic partner to EMRI and contributes to Technology, Processes and Knowledge Management. The Institute is also looking for partners, to promote a spirit of cooperation, collaboration, and networking among NGOs, Corporate Houses, Governments and like-minded individuals who will help drive the cause.

Posted at 09:18AM Jul 04, 2007 by Manju in Sun  |  Comments[0]