EMRI-108 Emergency Response Service launched

Guwahati, Nov 6 (UNI) After assisting the October 30 bombing exigencies in Assam, the Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI)- 108 Emergency Response Service (ERS), attending to medical, police and fire emergencies, was formally launched in the state today.

Inaugurating the service, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said the EMRI-108 ERS would meet a long pertaining need of the people of the state, especially in remote locations with no proper communication network to inform authorities during emergency.

Altogether 63 ambulances of the total 280 would be launched in the first phase till November end while the remaining would be launched in the second phase by March next year. The first 20 ambulances for the district of Kamrup were launched during the day by the state government in participation with EMRI.

The ambulances would be equipped with emergency equipment ranging from defibrillators and ventilators to extrication tools to handle almost any emergency situation. The 108 ERS is a free emergency response service and can be dialed without any prefix or suffix from any landline or mobile telephone.

At present, EMRI would operate from the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium at National Games complex here, informed State Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma.

The MoU between state government and EMRI to run the emergency service was signed in July and in the following months, the ambulances were fabricated and required personnel for the ERS centre and ambulances recruited and trained by EMRI, Dr Sharma added. UNI SG ADG DB1657