By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Speaking at the fourth anniversary of GVK EMRI here in the city on Saturday, Health and Family Welfare Commissioner and Secretary D P Wahlang said, “We have a back room plan to involve GVK EMRI to have the facility so that recovered patients are dropped back to their far flung villages.”
The State Government is contemplating to add more value added services in the EVK EMRI 108 ambulances which have catered to thousands of patients in times of emergencies.
He however made it clear that the plan is still in the initial stage and nothing has been sanctioned for the proposed plan.
“We want to upgrade and add value added services in the GVK EMRI,” he said
While lauding the efforts of the GVK EMRI in responding to the people in times of emergencies, he called upon the entire staff to continue their noble services for the benefit of the people particularly in rural areas.
It is noteworthy that the GVK EMRI services assumes significance for the people particularly in rural areas in absence of proper medical requirements, adding a large chunk of the state population resides in the far flung areas.
The Government presently has a scheme where it drops pregnant mothers back to their homes in the women taxis which was brought out to serve the women commuters but the scheme never got the much needed response from the residents of the State.
The GVK EMRI services covers a population of about 18 lakh and on an average eight lives are saved in a day by the emergency services.
It may be mentioned that recently, the GVK EMRI 108 Emergency Ambulance Service, which is doing yeoman service in Meghalaya besides other states of the country, won the “Innovation for India Awards 2012” in Public Service Category in a grand event organized by the Marico Innovation Foundation last year.