11 June,2014 08:34 AM IST | | Anuradha Varanasi
Authorities at National Rural Health Mission revealed that the recently launched toll-free number has received very few calls for medical emergencies
Three months after Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan launched the toll-free number for residents to call an ambulance at the patient's doorstep, majority of the calls received on 108 are only to enquire about the 24x7 Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
The project, initiated under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), aims to move the patients to the nearest hospital within the âgolden hour' period, ensuring timely treatment in critical condition, in case of an accident or medical emergency.
However, from the time it was launched on March 1, state health authorities revealed that only four per cent of the calls have been for genuine emergency cases.
Speaking to mid-day, K H Govindraj, director of NRHM, said, "We receive around 10,000 calls a day, but majority of these calls are only to enquire about the ambulance services. So far, we have received about 9 lakh calls from Mumbai."
Out of the genuine emergency cases, where an ambulance had to be rushed to the spot, 24 per cent were pregnancy-related cases, followed by road accidents (19 per cent).
Only one per cent of the cases were of cardiac emergencies. Currently, there are 600 ambulances assigned for the initiative and by August, the health department is planning to add another 337, according to the state health secretary, Meeta Lochan.
