Dial 108 for all emergency situations across India

Dial 108 for all emergency situations across India

India is gradually moving to use of one emergency telephone number across the country, 108, on the lines of America's 911 and Britain's 999.

Henceforth, you need not grope in the dark for help in case of emergencies like road mishaps and fire accidents. All you have to do is dial 108, a toll-free number to get ambulance services within 20 minutes at the disaster spot.

The state government, in partnership with Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI), a not-for-profit organisation from Hyderabad, has launched a 24-hour free emergency response service to help people in emergency, be it medical, police or fire-related. People can dial 108 without any prefix or suffix from any phone (landline or mobile) and seek help.

The three-year-old Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) service also operates in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Assam, and Jammu and Kashmir, hoping to provide services to 100 million people by 2010. "This is India's first coordinated response service, at one number across the country, like the UK's 999 and Europe's 112, taking a call every two seconds.

The 108 service in India is ambulance-based. It has more than 600 advanced life-saving ambulances operating in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. The Tamil Nadu government has made available 200 such emergency medical technician-manned ambulances for the EMRI service. "The service is free of charge.Even necessary hospitalisation for the first 48 hours is free."

Currently its available in the following states:

• Andhra Pradesh,
• Tamil Nadu,
• Kerala,
• Karnataka (Launched on 1st November 2008)
• Goa,
• Gujarat,
• Rajasthan,
• Assam, and
• Jammu and Kashmir

Soon, it will be available across other states also.

HOW IT WORKS

• People can call 108 from any phone (landline or mobile)
• Call lands at the Emergency Response Centre (ERC ), and the caller should give information on the type of emergency, location and landmark, if any
• Based on the information, ERC will despatch either ambulance, fire fighters or police depending on the type of emergency
• Help will reach in 20 minutes in cities and 30 minutes in rural areas.
• Medical technicians and physicians will provide pre-hospital care while transporting the victim in the ambulance to the nearest hospital.

More about Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI)

Thanks for sharing... there should be one common emergency no. through out INDIA

yes.. i agree.. then it will be much simpler...for aam janta...