1 minute read
THE GOLDEN HOUR RESPONDERS
from EHTERAM
What do a car collision and a cardiac arrest have in common? It’s the bystander’s response to dial the 108-emergency helpline number. Before the launch of the 108 helplines in 2005, reaching out to an ambulance was a cumbersome and anxious act. It changed when Ramalinga Raju and his family alongside the Government of Andhra Pradesh, launched the 108 Emergency Response Service on 15 August 2005 in Public Private Partnership with GVK EMRI.
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In a candid conversation with Mr Khwaja the Pilot and Mr Yadagiri the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) of a 108 ambulance we uncover the deeds of service and humanity the duo has rendered to society. Yadagiri opens up about his teen days when he aspired to become a doctor and serve the community. The aspiration remained a dream given His duty as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) entails providing emergency care to patients to ensure their survival till reaching the medical institution
He points out instances where he has been roughed up and mishandled by relatives and bystanders of the patients. Yet Yadagiri fondly shares,“With a deep feeling of contentment, I go to bed each day”.
Mr. Khawaja, the driver, laments the fact that the pay received for the workload and amount of risk undertaken is not proportional. On being questioned about why then he is not on the lookout for other employment opportunities, he gazes towards the serene skyline and answers “Just like the passing clouds, the issue of wages pinches and goes away but the satisfaction I earn from the job is unparalleled.” He goes on to say that the words of gratitude that patients and their relatives deliver for the service he does is priceless.
The conversation can thus spark an internal monologue within ourselves. One must acknowledge the fact that indeed each individual carries a story that is personal to them and may seem insignificant to others but it is these individual “extras” amongst the millions that leave an impact on mankind, aptly conveyed by the saying in Hindi “Boond boond se sagar banta hai".
