DRK’S NEWS LETTER Issue 010

DRK’s News Letter

Issue No: 10

February,2017

SHRI NARENDRA MODI HAS PROVIDED WORLD CLASS CAMPUS FOR GUJARAT STATE EMRI 108

World's Largest Ambulance Service – GVK EMRI 108

Ambulance Service is an essential service during emergency for transporting patients from houses, accident sites and hospitals.

Dealing with a medical emergency can be a nightmarish experience. The lack of well-equipped and well trained emergency medical services makes it far worse.

Several efforts are on, by government, non-profit and for-profit organizations, to try and fill a challenging and often-scary void.

Now India has the unique distinction of operating efficiently the world's largest smart ambulance service. – GVK EMRI 108.

Infrastructure giant and long-time philanthropist, GVK Reddy is the Chairman of the GVK EMRI 108 project.

The mission is to deliver services at Global standards through Leadership, Innovation, Technology and Research & Training.

This project is providing Emergency Response Services

under PPP (Public Private Partnership) framework with the State Governments concerned.

The Ambulances operated by GVK EMRI 108 are like well equipped mini mobile hospitals with essential equipments, medicine and well trained paramedics. This service today covers 70 percent of India’s population in 17 States and Union Territories.

Email: drkaarthikeyan@gmail.com Website: www.goodgovernance.in www.lifepositive.com

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Bharat Ratna Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was Chairman Emeritus of the Governing Board based in Hyderabad and I have the privilege of being associated with this unique organisation since its inception, as a Member.

I have also been functioning as Chairman of the Gujarat State GVK EMRI 108 Advisory Council. In that capacity after my periodical meetings at Ahmedabad with the operatives of Gujarat State GVK EMRI 108, Governmental health authorities and leading medical experts, I used to call on Hon’ble Shri. Narendra Modi, as Chief Minister of Gujarat.

Shri. Modi always expressed great admiration for the excellent services of Gujarat State GVK EMRI 108 and extended all support, including creating a world-class campus.

Having launched the 108 emergency response service on August 15, 2005, in Hyderabad, GVK EMRI is currently operational in 15 States and 2 Union Territories i.e. Andhra

Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and 2 Union Territories, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.

I can do no better than quoting experts from the world renowned Harvard and Stanford, hailing the EMRI 108 operations.

In the Harvard Business Review of August 2010, the globally celebrated Management Guru Prof. CK Prahalad says -

“Some Indian organizations have combined cutting-edge technologies to create new capabilities, in certain cases for the first time in the world. They are scaling rapidly but keeping costs low by using innovative financing methods such as public-private partnerships. These companies often draw on the knowledge base of specialized institutions overseas and set the standards in India even as they develop unique research capabilities.”

“GVK EMRI 108 has woven together the latest telecommunication, computing, medical, and transportation technologies to provide affordable emergency services in tribal, rural, and urban areas.”

Hon’ble Shri. Narendra Modi and Dr. GVK Reddy at EMRI HQ, Ahmedabad

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“Given India’s environment, the organization has innovatively tackled the physical, cultural, and language barriers that impede its ability to deal with emergencies. Getting Indians to recognize an emergency and call 1-0-8 for assistance is a major hurdle……Through its research, EMRI has learned that 10% of Indians face emergencies but either don’t recognize them as such or have nowhere to call. In addition to providing a number to call, the organization has developed programs to teach Indians to recognize and react to emergencies.”

“Unlike its Western counterparts, EMRI has designed its ambulances, trained its paramedics, and most important, built a unique information and communications technology infrastructure. At the heart of that infrastructure is a computer network supported by a call center in each state……… The Emergency Relief Operators follow a clear process to

determine if a call is an emergency and, if so, whether it is a medical, police, or fire emergency. The goal is to help victims survive the golden hour, the first 60 minutes, since 80% of deaths in hospitals take place in the first hour of admission.”

“……..The Emergency Relief Operators route ambulances using dynamic optimization algorithms based on the nature of the emergency, its severity, and the ambulances’ locations.

After an officer dispatches an ambulance, she or he calls the medical technicians in it to give them health-related data, connects one of the technicians with the caller, and leaves them talking so the distraught caller is never alone before the ambulance gets to the spot. The operators execute this task in 80 to 90 seconds, but the organization hopes to reduce that time to 60 seconds. EMRI keeps innovating: One recent experiment consists of sending a team ahead on a two-wheeler, which slides through traffic faster than an ambulance could, enabling critical care to start sooner.”

Prof. Prahalad continues to say… “EMRI started out on the assumption that a public-private partnership would be essential for its functioning. In India, the government owns most hospitals, so EMRI has to work with the state as well as the fire and police departments. Furthermore, it recognizes the importance of government

Chairman Emeritus Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam with Dr. GVK Reddy at the EMRI Governing Board Meeting at Hyderabad

At the 10th Anniversary of GVK EMRI 108 - Chief Guest Dean of Sandford University School of Medicine Dr. Lloyd B. Minor, Dr Mahadevan, Dr GVK

Reddy, Sanjay Reddy, Krishnam Raju and DRK

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support in educating people. To ensure that policy makers and bureaucrats don’t interfere, EMRI is a private foundation in legal terms, although 95% of its funding comes from state governments. Partnerships and alliances are a strategic focus. EMRI collaborates with organizations in the U.S. such as the National Emergency Number Association….… and Stanford University (with which EMRI has developed a two-year postgraduate degree in emergency care), as well as Singapore Health Services and Germany’s Geomed Research.”

“As the world’s only responder with a research institute, EMRI could become the best source of information for emergency care.”

“As the only emergency responder in the world with a research institute, EMRI is at the forefront of identifying

ways to improve knowledge and practices and is becoming the best source of information for emergency care. It archives all the calls it gets and has analyzed the data to compile regional public health profiles. For the first time in India, data on the seasonality, timing, and nature of medical emergencies are available. EMRI is also developing ways of passing

information from ambulances to hospitals before victims arrive, particularly in the cases of cardiac problems, traffic accidents, pregnancies, snakebites, and suicide attempts. Indeed, its research capabilities are changing the way many countries think about emergency-care management.”

Source: Click here...

Stanford University School of Medicine says in its research magazine SCOPE –

“India today has what we have long taken for granted in the United States: a modern, emergency 911-type system and a cadre of trained emergency responders who have helped save an estimated 1.4 million lives. Begun in 2005, it is now the largest ambulance service in the world and serves more than 750 million people in cities and villages across the Indian sub-continent.”

At the EMRI HQ, Ahmedabad DRK with Jashvant Prajapati, COO, Gujarat Operations

GVK EMRI Emergency Response Training Centre at Hyderabad

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“Begun in August 2005 in the south Indian metropolis of Hyderabad, the service, known as GVK EMRI (Emergency Management and Research Institute), is operated as a public-private partnership, providing its services free of charge, mostly to the very poor. It is a remarkable achievement, given the diversity of India, with its 29 states and more than 120 major languages, and the bureaucracy and corruption that can sometimes impede progress in this vast country of 1.2 billion souls.”

“It’s hard to fathom what this system has done in 10 years,” S.V. Mahadevan, MD, interim chair of Stanford’s Department

of Emergency Medicine, told while stationed in one of EMRI’s ambulances. “It could be regarded as one of the most important advances in global medicine in the world today.”

“While India has a long way to go before its medical care system meets accepted international standards, GVK EMRI clearly is making a difference in helping bring the country into the modern age of emergency care.” Source: Click Here...

GVK EMRI 108 goes overseas

GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute has formally signed an MoU with Govt of Sri Lanka on 27th Nov 2015 for establishment of integrated Emergency Response Service in Sri Lanka on the lines of “108 ERS” pioneered by GVK EMRI in India.

Finally GVK EMRI started EMS operation in Sri Lanka on 28th

July 2016, as on 30th Sep 2016 operating 88 ambulances and till 30th Sep 2016, handled 1131 emergencies. The recent meeting with Hon’ble Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Modi on 5th October 2016 in Delhi went very well and Hon’ble PM Modi has confirmed verbally that he will support the nation-wide expansion.

Other Allied Services

Seeing the very efficient and professional services being provided by GVK EMRI 108, more responsibilities are being increasingly entrusted. Some are -

JSSK: Ambulances for mother and children are operated under “Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram”. These ambulances are used to drop mother and new born back home after delivery. The ambulances also provide

•Total Number of Emergencies attended since inception of the operations in 2005 - 5.12 crores

•Total number of lives saved due to our operations since inception 20.13 lakhs

•Total number of incidents where the child birth took place either in moving ambulances or at home, assisted by our paramedics - 4.53 lakhs

•Total number of others trained in EMRI training establishment at Hyderabad - short term and long term training included - 50,681

GVK EMRI Gujarat State Advisory Council Meeting at Ahmedabad

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non emergency transport from home to hospital and vice versa for anti natal check up, post natal check up, immunisation, sick children etc.

Dial 100: GVK EMRI supports police Dial 100 helpline by use of modern technology and effective process changes. Dial 100 under this project is operated through a state-wide centralised Dial 100 centre where trained “Police Call Officers” of GVK EMRI promptly respond to calls and filter actionable calls which are assigned to respective police stations by “Police Despatch Officers” from police deptt located at Dial 100 centre. Every call assigned through the system is monitored for prompt police

action by concerned police station head, district police head, DGP’s office and Dial 100 centre.

181 Women Helpline: This is a dedicated helpline for women in distress. 181 Women Helpline centre receives calls from entire state and is manned by trained counsellors who provide support and tele-counselling to female callers in distress. In-person counselling is also provided by reaching the scene promptly by teams stationed across the state. These field teams consist of a counsellor and a lady police constable who also rescue the victim if situation so demands.

Mobile Medical Units: In areas where even the primary

healthcare facilities are not available nearby, mobile medical units equipped with basic medical equipment and diagnostic facility visit such villages at pre-announced time for specified duration. MMUs undertake preventive health check-up, body vital checks, basic blood tests etc and provide medicine for ailments. It also ensures referrals and required referral transportation. These are manned by a doctor, nurse and lab technician.

104 Health Helpline: This helpline is operated by paramedics and doctors who provide over the phone medical advice for simple ailments. Specialists are also available for advice during designated time slots. The helpline also provides information about appropriate clinics/ hospital and their facilities, government schemes, entitlements and also takes feedback about public healthcare services.

Road Safety Training: Every year in India, road traffic accidents kill more than 2 lakhs of people rendering 2 more lakhs permanently disabled. such accidents increase 2.5 percent every year. 57 serious road accidents take place every hour resulting in loss of 17 lives. While engineering and enforcement are important, far more fundamental and important is awareness and education to avert such accidents.

Gujarat which has been a trend setter in many projects have taken the initiate in dealing with

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this major problem by launching the TEAM Road Safety Training Project for creating awareness and education. The project formally launched through GVK EMRI 108 has become very popular and sought after all over. TEAM vans deployed in field to operate in designated geographies to conduct training on traffic, road safety and

vehicle security among local communities, school students and groups. TEAM consists of qualified instructors who train the trainers in local areas who in turn conduct the programmes with the help of materials and films developed specifically for the same. Literature on road safety and vehicle security is also distributed.

More Innovative Initiatives

One recent experiment consists of sending a team ahead on a two-wheeler, which slides through traffic faster than an ambulance could, enabling critical care to start sooner.

As the world’s only responder with a research institute, EMRI

could become the best source of information for emergency care.

As the only emergency responder in the world with a research institute, EMRI is at the forefront of identifying ways to improve knowledge and practices and is becoming the best source of information for emergency care.

The Chairman of GVK EMRI 108 Dr. GVK Reddy says -

“I basically come from a village background and have seen the suffering of people from hunger, illiteracy, diseases, etc. I always felt that I should help in improving the health, education and basic facilities that would benefit a large number of needy underprivileged individuals and social institutions. The GVK Foundation came into being with this objective of supporting the underprivileged in our society.”

“When one’s corporate vision ventures beyond business success, true change begins. At GVK, our inspiration comes from the knowledge that besides the value we bring in our core

businesses, our commitment extends to the real difference that we can make to the world and the society around. We started operations at EMRI from 2005 with just one State, Andhra Pradesh. Ever since we started operations, we have had a fleet of over 10,000 ambulances and have served over 3.5 crore emergencies; saved around

15,00,000 lives so far and assisted over 3,50,000 births. The numbers speak for our vision….”

Real Life Miraculous Stories

Victim Gets arm rejoined – Thanks to EMRI 108

At 8:13 PM 108 Emergency Response Centre received a call from Moodabidre - a passerby was seeking help for two victims of road traffic accident. Location ambulance was dispatched to the scene within record time of 3 minutes. In next 3 minutes Paramedics reached the incident location. Altaf (22yrs) and his friend (24yrs) who had just come down from Dubai to visit their native were hit while riding on a two wheeler, by a goods truck.

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Caring

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Altaf who was riding the bike got his right arm severed by the sharp metal part of the truck. The amputated arm was left hanging to the truck.

With assistance of public the paramedics protected the scene safe. They procured ice cubes and plastic bags from nearby shops and preserved the amputated arm. Pressure bandage was applied to Altaf and he was placed in head end elevated position on stretcher as he had lost lot of blood.

Altaf was shifted into ambulance with C-Collar on a spine board as he had sustained head and neck injury. The patient was taken to nearby hospital but was referred to a higher centre as the hospital did not enough resources to manage such a case.

He was immediately taken to operation theatre for reconstructive surgery. On follow up it was confirmed that limb reconstructive surgery was successful and patient was in a stable condition. The hospital authorities appreciated the EMRI 108 team for preserving the amputated arm and bringing the patient very carefully to the hospital.

Imaginative 108 Team Operation saves life

Late in the evening, Sheikh Satar, 28 years old male, a daily wage worker from Surat, while talking on phone with his far away family accidentally tripped and fell down from 3rd floor of under construction site building. He got penetrated by bamboo

sticks which were in upright position at the site on ground.

On calling 108 the ambulance reached the spot immediately.

The team with the help of saw cut the bamboo stick so that they can lift the patient, taking care that the bamboo stick stays where it was to prevent loss of excessive blood.

While transferring the victim into the Ambulance the team took steps to make sure that the bamboo stick doesn’t move. Driving the ambulance carefully enroute to the hospital, the bleeding was controlled with gauze pads.

On being alerted earlier, the hospital at Surat was ready to receive the patient directly to Operation Theater and performed the surgery.

The life of Sheik Satar got saved by the EMRI 108 team by proper management of the penetrated object, and effective pre hospital care with proper handing over at hospital.

Just delivered baby falling on the track of moving train saved

Thirty-year-old Bhuridevi an expectant full term mother and her husband Prabhuram had boarded the Jodhpur Express at Ahmedabad Junction, on their way to Bhuridevi’s parents’ home at Jodhpur in Rajasthan.

Around 11.30 pm, while the train reached 15km away from Mehsana railway station near Nirma factory, Bhuridevi suddenly felt sharp pains in her abdomen, and rushed into the lavatory hoping to relieve the pain. Suddenly the labour pain became acute and the baby got delivered into the lavatory bowl

DRK with senior functionaries of Gujarat State GVK EMRI 108 at the HQs.

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itself and fell through the flap on to the tracks under the speeding train.

Seeing the baby slip away through the lavatory bowl, Bhuridevi became unconscious. Prabhuram who came in search of his wife raised the alarm as soon as he found his wife lying motionless on the floor. The emergency chain of train was pulled and the train came to a halt more than a mile down the track. She got shifted to the civil hospital by 108 Ambulance.

Meanwhile, another team of 108 with ambulance reached the spot where the newborn child was lying on the railway track and found the baby miraculously surviving without injury.

They immediately suctioned the airway, dried and wrapped the newborn using baby blanket, placed newborn under halogen lamp to prevent further heat loss, and rushed to the hospital, where Bhuridevi was also taken earlier.

This very highly professional, efficient caring act of 108 team came for high praise in the media also.

Child’s call to 108 Saves Mother

A Middle-aged mother who is residing in Daskroi of Ahmedabad district consumed excessive sleeping pills to commit intentional self-harm due to a squabble in family. When the kids who were playing outside reentered the house, they found their mother lying on the floor and not responding.

The 8 year older child dialed 108 emergency response centre and frantically conveyed that his mother was lying unconscious and couldn't breathe. The child could not give complete address. The communication officer who received the call at the control room patiently and intelligently collected the correct address and dispatched a 108 ambulance team.

The ambulance located the address and reached there within 20 minutes following the call. The team found the mother in a serious condition, applied oxygen, got in touch with the physician at the control centre, provided appropriate prehospital care, shifted her to the nearest hospital and thus saved her life.

As countless beneficiaries, prestigious global institutions and experts all over the world have recognized, GVK 108 is the World’s Largest Smart Ambulance Service making huge contribution in saving lives and in reducing infant and maternal mortalities in our Nation.

"We are what we think we are. The habitual inclination of our thoughts determines our talents and abilities, and our personality". —Paramhansa Yogananda

Loneliness is when you are missing the other. Aloneness is when you are finding yourself. Aloneness is the finding of your true and authentic being. - Osho

We are meant to be active and go ahead accepting challenges. A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.