EMRI attends 6,850 cases

NT NETWORK
Posted on 2008-11-20
PANAJI- Ever since the Emergency Management and Research Institute started the emergency services on September 5 in the state, its Goa-based employees have attended 6,850 cases till Tuesday (in 75days), including 1,450 accidental cases.
According to the information given by the EMRI, 85.5 per cent of the cases it received till Tuesday were related to medical, while 13 per cent dealt with by the police and 1.5 per cent by the fire and emergency services.
The 18 ambulances of the EMRI stationed at various places in the state make about 65 trips per day on an average, and per trips by an ambulance is about 3-4. The ambulances stationed at Panaji and Margao make the highest of trips in attending the calls from public, averaging 5-6 calls per ambulance per day.
This month alone the ambulances at Panaji and Margao have attended 93 and 120 calls respectively, while those at Canacona and Collem are the least used with just about one call attendance per day.
According to the EMRI, the lack of use of ambulances in Canacona and Collem is perhaps due to lack of mobile coverage in those areas. The EMRI official said the people in these areas have to find a landline to call the EMRI and in the meanwhile the victims are transported in the first available vehicle.
Of the total 6,850 calls received by the EMRI call centre, accidents accounted for the maximum – 1,450, while the cardiac cases were 300 in number. Pregnancy related accounted for 280 while the EMRI employees shifted 175 people suffering from acute abdominal pain to medical centres in various parts of the state.
The EMRI support staff also shifted 130 people suffering from respiratory problems to hospitals, while 44 persons bitten by snakes and animals were transported to hospitals for providing medical care, during the period.
According to EMRI officials, the people were also abusing the system and till Tuesday of the 39,600 calls made to the call centre only 6,850 were genuine which required attendance by the EMRI staff, the police or the fire services. They also said that till Tuesday 205 nuisance calls were received at the call centre.
The EMRI staff also informed that of the 39,600 calls made to the call centre most were blank calls made apparently by the pranksters. They also said that over the past few days the number of pranks made by miscreants has risen.
They further said that a number of calls have been made by the people stating that serious incidents have taken place in various parts of the state and when the ambulances were rushed to the areas the locals there informed the EMRI staff that no such incidents have taken place.