Aurobindo may take over 108

Hyderabad: Soon, the 108 ambulance services might be handled by Aurobindo Pharma Foundation, said highly placed sources from within the Telangana health department. It is learnt that the foundation’s proposal, floated after the department called for tenders from corporate companies to take over 108, has been tabled before the Chief Minister, and is the final stages of being cleared.

The ambulances are currently taken care of by GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI). The plan to outsource the operations is aimed at increasing coverage of districts and villages by 108 ambulances. At present, there are 358 ambulances of which around 25 are kept in reserve, while the remaining are plying on roads. With the upgrade, the number of ambulances is also expected to be increased so as to cover over 500 zones across the state, each with an ambulance at its disposal.

Further, sources said, the foundation has proposed to bring about automation in dispatch of ambulances, automatic call distribution, GPS integration and computer-telephone interface among other measures. Aurobindo’s proposal also talks about cutting short the time taken to reach an accident spot by introducing GPS identification of the accident scene, which is currently missing. While first responder teams will be set up in all villages in the future, satellite trauma centres will be set up along national highways, as per the plan. “An integrated emergency management application will GIS functionality that can meet current and future requirements of emergency management. The application can be integrated with other disaster management facilities available in the state, like police and fires services. Also all vehicles will be fitted with customised GPS/ automatic vehicle location tracking equipment for tracking the exact location and movement of vehicles in real time,” read the proposal.

It has assured high level of employee satisfaction and ensure that no protests and strikes happen, said insiders.