Ambulances ringing in timely help

Chennai: The 108 helpline, which began in 2008 with merely 20 ambulances, is now able to cater to the needs of the state better with 800 ambulances of different types.

The helpline is dedicated 100 per cent to emergencies. “The 108 service has a large spectrum of vehicles, namely Basic Life Support, Advance Life Support to be used for critical conditions, Neonatal ambulances, the four wheel drive ambulances to be used coastal terrains and bike ambulances - which serve as a good gap in terms of response time, especially on narrow roads and highly congested or densely populated areas,” said Prabhudoss B., head, marketing and hospital relations, GVK EMRI, which operates the helpline.

With the State leading the country in terms of accident deaths, the government of Tamil Nadu, along with geo mapping department, has taken the initiative to mark all accident spots across the State. “Each department in the State is working on  this project and 108 helpline has contributed by increasing the number of ambulances exactly on these blackspots to ensure that the response is swift and number of incidences of disability and worse are reduced. In the past two months, over 1,200 people had benefited from this initiative,” said Prabudoss.

The number of ambulances in each district varies based on geography, requirements and emergencies arising from the pocket populations. “Greater Chennai has around 30 to 40 ambulances, while Vellore has a high number. The Nilgiris and Kanyakumari districts have a lesser number of ambulances,” he said.

104 helpline sees growth

Going to a counsellor may still be considered a taboo in many parts of the country,  including Tamil Nadu. However, with the availability of helplines like 104, one need not worry about being judged by society.

The 104 helpline, which began in 2013, with only one counsellor – receiving merely five calls a day - has three counsellors now who together receive around 70 calls a day.

“We get many calls related to marital issues and depression, which are also related to health problems. The number of calls has increased to the extent that the server sometimes hangs. Our calls focus on quality as we deal with people’s emotions,” said B. Elayaraju, a counsellor with helpline.

The helpline gets 30 to 40 per cent calls relating to suicide and around one to two per cent calls that are not serious. “We get a large percentage of calls that are genuine and we ensure that follow up those cases. We also get feedback calls of which 90 to 95 per cent give a good response,” added Elayaraju.

The counsellors, who spend between 10 to 40 minutes with each visitor, diagnose the problem and provide them with treatment. “Many people still think alcoholism is a habit. It is a disease and requires treatment. People from places like Madurai and Villupuram tend to go to religious priests for treatment first before considering talking to a counsellor. However, awareness is slowly increasing in those areas too,” he said.

With the helpline having initially receiving calls only from 20 to 30 women, the present 45 per cent has proved that awareness is on the rise. “People feel more comfortable as it is easier to call and talk than have a face to face interaction.

Those from rural areas may not even find a psychologist, only a magician or priest, which is traditionally accepted,” said Prabhudoss  B., head, marketing and hospital relations, GVK EMRI, which operates the 104 helpline.

 “A lot of changes are seen in terms of the acceptance of the concept of counselling. However, are those changes available in rural areas? It is then that 104 helpline comes to the forefront as anyone can call the helpline without fear of being judged. So far, 700 suicide ideations have been prevented till date,” he added.