EMRI to ink pact with AAEM on emergency response

Hyderabad, May 8 (UNI) Emergency Management and Research and Training (EMRI), a non-profit organisation, will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the American Academy for Emergency Medicine (AAEM) at San Jose, California on May 11, EMRI Chief Executive Director Venkat Changavalli said today.

With a view to meeting global standards in emergency response, Under the MoU, AAEM will train personnel selected by the EMRI for 12 to 14 months for effective emergency response. The EMRI would cover 25 more locations by June and the whole state by August, he added.

Addressing a press conference here in connection with the EMRI covering 25 towns in Andhra Pradesh since its launch in August 2005, Mr Changavalli said ''Our vision is to provide leadership to respond to two million calls a day and save two million lives a year nationally by 2010.'' It is also holding talks with Union Communication and Health Ministries and leading insurance companies to set up an authority to cater to people in distress across the country.

Since the launch of EMRI/108 service , it had received 11 lakh calls and saved 2,200 lives by reaching the persons in distress in 35 minutes, he informed adding 85 per cent of the calls related to medical emergencies, including accidents and burns.

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