Karnataka Health and Family Welfare department has attended to 500 medical emergencies under Karnataka Arogya Kavacha services, EMRI 108 on a single day. This is a record for the state healthcare facilities. Of the total 520 emergencies, 20 were police related ones and the remaining were medical emergencies.

This is the first time that the department has crossed handling 500 medical emergencies in 24 hours, stated Madan Gopal, Karnataka Health secretary, department of health and family welfare.

Dial 108 is a toll-free number and is dialled to not only save a life which includes pregnancy and safe birth but also covers cases like a crime in progress and natural disasters. It is a free service for any emergencies.

Since November 2008, the health department has attended 29,27,329 calls and medical emergencies handled were 41,667. These are mostly cases relating to pregnancies, respiratory, cardiac, animal bites, suicides, poisoning and drug over dose.

Around 33 per cent of the emergencies attended by the Arogya Kavacha were pregnancy related which covered saving mothers and babies.

One of the main objectives of Arogya Kavacha programme was to reduce infant mortality and maternal mortality rates. The infant mortality rate of Karnataka is 47 and efforts are on to bring it down to 30 by 2012.

Maternal mortality rate in Karnataka is 220 and the State government has set a target to achieve 100 by 2012. About 60 per cent of newborns die within seven days of their birth. Therefore the Arogya Kavacha scheme is looking at increasing its focus on attending the safe delivery of babies, added the State health secretary.