108 for Ayyappa Devotees
Posted on: 30/Dec/2013 11:04:20 AM
The ‘108’ ambulance service had set up a 24-hour emergency care centre and two mobile medical units at Sabarimala to attend to emergencies. Both the centre and the units which started functioning on December 16 and had been attending to about 150 cases a day will be in place till January 20, 2014.
GVK EMRI which operates the ‘108’ ambulance services in Tamil Nadu has put up two mobile medical units en route Sabarimala temple from Pamba in Appachimedu and Neelimala. These units which are equipped with an emergency jump kit that comprises blood pressure apparatus, gluco metre, thermometer, handheld suction device, portable oxygen cylinder and dressing material will attend to emergencies to devotees ascending to reach the shrine. Once they provide first aid, patients would be shifted to nearest hospital.
Similarly, while descending from the temple, the emergency care centre with advanced emergency management technicians has been set up at Saralmedu area. Apart from technicians, single-bedded centre has ECG equipment, other devices required to transmit ECG results to the nearest cardiac centre to seek opinion of medical experts and sufficient medicines. A total of 30 volunteers work on shifts round the clock.EMRI officials said they started the centre following a request from the Travancore Devaswom Board.
