Apollo Group of Hospitals has announced a national wide network of quality emergency services for the first time in India. The first phase of services, which is to be operational by December 1, 2001, will enable the patients in the cities of New Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad to avail the emergency services offered by Apollo by dialing 1066.
For enhanced services, Apollo plans to associate with hospitals all over the country, who can provide emergency medicare of Apollo standards and convert 1066 into a national emergency number. This is the first attempt for a national wide emergency number in this part of the world and is the first private initiative in the whole world.
Announcing the launch of the emergency number at a press conference here on Saturday, Apollo Group chairman, Dr Pratap C Reddy informed that the emergency services offered by Apollo are not commercial project but purely a social one. Apollo envisages the emergency services to be a wholesome package, which includes the four digit emergency number 1066, fully equipped ambulances accompanied by trained personnel, standardized emergency rooms, specially trained personnel manning the emergency rooms and hospital on wheels, affordable accident insurance scheme, air ambulance services, life savers programme involving the community in emergency care and awareness programmes to educate the common man on preventive aspects of accidents and emergencies.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr K Hari Prasad, director, emergency services, said that Apollo Emergency would utilize the existing infrastructure and upgrade it to the required standards. "The programme will be implemented in a phased manner. The first phase will be operational by December 1, 2001. The second phase, which will include cities like Calcutta, Madurai, Pune, Bilaspur, Bangalore and Indore will be ready by January 2002. Third phase will cover the rest of the cities and major towns in the country and will be completed by the end of next year", he informed.
Apollo has invited corporate hospitals from across the country to be part of the emergency service programme and provide critical services to the needy in an effective way.
He felt that emergency care is the most neglected area of Indian healthcare today and 30 per cent of the emergency victims die before they reach hospital. "Over 80 per cent of emergency victims never get quality medical care during the golden hour (the initial moments in an emergency)", he said.
The emergency care system developed by Apollo was the result of two years research and development carried out in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The Apollo Group had also sought assistance from agencies like Lifenet EMS, UK, Royal College of General Practitioners and American Academy for Emergency Medicine for evolving the programme.