The Hindu Business Line : EMRI plans national rollout of medical services

Mr Venkat Changavalli (left), CEO of Emergency Management and Research Institute, Hyderabad, with Dr S.V. Mahadevan, Assistant Professor Medicine/Surgery, Stanford School of Medicine, USA, at a press meet in Hyderabad on Wednesday. - G. Krishnaswamy

Hyderabad June 6 Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI), a not-for-profit emergency medical services organisation backed by the promoters of Satyam, is planning to roll out services across the country in the next few months.

The institute offers the popular `108' ambulance services and a host of hospitals that are networked for providing free-of-cost stabilisation service.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr Venkat Changavalli, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EMRI, said the institute was in talks with the Union Government for the national rollout. "The Union Health Ministry is very keen. Officials are preparing proposals in this regard," he said.

According to indications, the expansion is likely to happen on August 15.

Currently, the institute covered Andhra Pradesh with a fleet of 500 ambulances.

Stating that the institute was getting financial assistance from the State Government for the public-private initiative, the funding could as well go to 90 per cent as time progressed. "But the key would be increased contributions from the corporate sector," he said.

It is estimated that it would need 25,000 well-trained emergency medical technicians to handle various aspects of the institute for the national network. Trained manpower played a crucial role in reaching out to the victims within the `golden hour', or the first 60 minutes after the accident took place, considered to be crucial to get medical aid. Realising the acute shortage or absence of such professionals in India, the institute tied up with Stanford School of Medicine to offer a two-year Post-Graduate Programme in Emergency Care (EMT-A).

In the first batch, they planned to enrol 150 paramedics and 30 advanced clinical educators.

The fee and other costs are estimated at Rs two lakh a student. Those having B.Sc. (life sciences) degrees, nurses and physiotherapists are eligible for the course. They would get a combined certificate from both the institutes.

Opportunities

Keeping in mind the absence of such specialty in the Indian healthcare system, the new field offered a huge scope for the candidates. "We will be happy to absorb all of them at an entry-level salary of Rs 20-25,000," he said.