Is 108 survival at stake?

Is 108 survival at stake?
By: Savie Karnel
Date: 2009-01-09

Bangalore:

Life saver: 108 dial-for-ambulance service proved to be a great success
Emergency headline is founded, funded by Satyam's Raju; but govt says the service will survive as 95 % is funded by states

The Satyam debacle may spell trouble for the much-hyped emergency helpline service 108.

Hyderabad-based Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI), which operates the helpline, is founded and funded by Ramalinga Raju and his brothers.

EMRI, which promoted itself using the Satyam logo, is now shying away from being associated with Raju. Its spokesperson had even said, "Satyam has got nothing to do with EMRI. It is just our technology partner."

However, the website carried the Satyam logo and clearly said the Raju brothers had "founded, funded and nurtured it."

'No formal info yet'

When MiD DAY called marketing head Srivatsan Raghavan, he admitted that Ramalinga Raju funded it personally and that he founded the organisation. On the fate of the company he said, "It is too early to say anything.

Raju has been funding the organisation, but we cannot say anything about the future as of now. There has been no formal communication from Raju till now."

When asked if EMRI had asked Raju to resign from the governing board, he said, "Who are we to ask him to resign?"

PPP project

EMRI has started the helpline in various states through Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the state governments.

While the state governments provided 95 per cent of the funding, EMRI gave the remaining five percent. This five percent came from Raju's personal finances.

The Karnataka state government is confident that they can run the helpline and feel that the Satyam disaster may not affect the helpline.

"Since the government bears 95 per cent of the funding, there shouldn't be a problem. EMRI pays just five percent. This bill is made at the end of the financial year, and hence will be made after March. EMRI helps us with the management of the helpline. We hope that it should not be affected because of Satyam. All the ambulances are in the government's name and we are going ahead with our plan of increasing the number of ambulances," said Madan Gopal, principal secretary, and health department.

Super service

108 was launched in Karnataka in November to attend to medical, police and fire emergencies and has 70 ambulances in the state. It also provides services in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Assam.