Telugu Ramalinga Raju pioneered 108 : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Telugu Ramalinga Raju pioneered 108

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

(Former Consultant 108 Emergency Services)

The news and views that appeared in a section of traditional print media as well as social media that the Ahmadabad based Lifeline foundation founder, Dr Subroto Das, is the pioneer and benefactor of the 108 (Emergency Response) Services in the country and hence he was honored with Padmasree award is not true! The services being rendered by Dr Das’ Lifeline Foundation may be of great significance and may be doing wonderful service. However, it is seriously objectionable to say that, it was because of efforts of his Lifeline Foundation the Gujarat Government passed the Emergency Medical Services Act-2007 and in the process 108 services were introduced in Gujarat and were expanded to 26 states through his initiative and contacts. To put the records straight and to bring facts for the benefit of the present and future generations, the pioneer and brain behind 108 Emergency Response Services is a Telugu man!

The then Gujarat CM and present PM Narendra Modi heard about the successful running of the 108 services in AP since August 15, 2005 and deputed Joint Secretary (Medical and health) in Gujarat government Ms Mona Khandar to Hyderabad to study the services. She visited 108 Services head quarters EMRI (Emergency management and Research Institute) during May 2007. Later, a team of EMRI officials that included me visited Ahmadabad and met its Chief Secretary and the Health Minister. It was followed by a series of correspondence. All the correspondence done between the EMRI and Gujarat was with my signature. Later a MoU between Gujarat Government and EMRI was signed and on Aug 29, 2007, CM Narendra Modi himself launched the 108 services in the State. Against this backdrop the Gujarat government came out with Gujarat Emergency Medical services Act 2007. Dr Subroto Das had nothing to do with this! When 108 services launched in Ahmedabad, along with the then CM Narendra Modi, former President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, EMRI Chairman B Ramalinga Raju, EMRI CEO Venkat Changavalli were present on the dais. Ramalinga Raju was also present at the special dinner hosted by Modiji.

Many may not be aware these days the kind of relationship Ramalinga Raju had with the 108 services, described as the “Angel of Mercy” by the National Rural Health Mission way back in 2008. Need concept and evolution as well as the expansion of 108 services are not only interesting but precious material for those pursuing research.

When Satyam Computers, founded by Ramalinga Raju attained reputation nationally and internationally and earned him crores of rupees as profits, the philanthropic urge in Ramalinga Raju came to the fore. In the backdrop of this, on June 27, 2001 when Ramalinga Raju lost his father Byrraju Satyanarayana Raju, he along with his brothers established Byrraju Foundation on August 15, 2001. It started providing rural transformation services in 5 districts of AP that included extensive healthcare services that included three ambulances also. Subsequently these services were extended to 200 villages, directly or indirectly covering a population of a million. 25 different services were being provided in each village in areas such as healthcare, education, literacy, livelihood development, environment, Sanitation, drinking water, agriculture, sports, village BPOs known as Gram IT and emergency services. On July 16, 2003 Emergency Care Service called “Sahaya” backed by a call number +91 98494 54321 was started on an experimental basis. This covered 19 villages in Undi Mandal of West Godavari district which proved to an unmitigated service. This led to the formation of 108 services later.

Prominent among the first to help Ramalinga Raju were Dr Balaji, Dr AP Ranga Rao, Varanasi Sudhakar, Srikanth, Krishna Koneru, Srinivasa Rambabu and Polimallu Siva. These members and several others worked together to plan and execute the 108 services successfully. CEO of the EMRI for over five years, Venkat Changavalli was responsible for expanding the services to other States. It was worked out, that, by spending a meager Rs 10 on each citizen per year, the 108 Ambulance services can be made available all over the country.

Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) was registered as a non-profit Society. It was modeled along the lines of 911 services offered in the USA. While providing the initial investment and infrastructural facilities, Raju signed a MoU with the then State Government on April 2, 2005. By July 14, 2005 infrastructure related to the Information technology was put in place. Due to the personal rapport Ramalinga Raju had with the then Union Telecom Secretary also happened to be a Telugu Person an IAS cadre from AP, J Sridhar Sarma, 108 number was allotted by Government of India a toll free number that can be used all over the country for ever and orders were issued accordingly. This was how the entire credit of getting 108 services goes to Ramalinga Raju. Sridhar Sarma gets the credit of making 108 toll free all over the country. Arrangements were made to launch the 108 services formally in Hyderabad.

Services were rolled out in Hyderabad and several cities and towns in the then AP. Chief Guest of the launching function in Hyderabad Grand Kakatiya Hotel was the then Union Communications Minister Dayanidhi Maran, while the Guests of Honor were the then CM Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy, the then Finance and Health Minister (Later CM of AP and Governor of Tamil Nadu) K Rosaiah, and the then Chief Secretary Mohan Kanda. For the first time in the country the three-digit 108 number was operational.

Initially the services that were started with 75 Ambulances later expanded to 14 States with 10,500 Ambulances. In quick time EMRI was providing services in 10 different states in the country covering a population of 450 million people including Gujarat as supported by the then CM Narendra Modi. State Governments were providing most of the funding while EMRI part funded and managed the services in PPP mode. This was the time when Ramalinga Raju had to resign from the Chairman’s post following some unfortunate events in Satyam. Later GVK Group took the responsibility of running the EMRI. GVK Group made efforts to reach the services to another 35 Crore people benefitting on the whole 80 Crore people as on date. EMRI now covers a population of more than 2.5 times in the USA. It has cumulatively attended 48 million emergencies and saved 1.85 million lives so far.

After the then United AP, Gujarat was the first state to implement these services. It was followed by Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Goa, Assam, Karnataka, Meghalaya, Punjab, UP, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir. In 14 states 108 Ambulance services are provided to benefit 80 Crore people. Thanks to the efforts put in by the GVK Group, these services are available in Sri Lanka.

Facts should be stated as facts. They should not be distorted. A good work done by one should not be credited to someone else. The pioneer to launch the 108 service, which is saving lives of crores of people, in undoubtedly B Ramalinga Raju, former Satyam Computers Founder and Founder Chairman of the EMRI! This credit should have to go to him and him alone!

(Based on an interview with former founder Chairman Satyam Computers and founder Chairman EMRI 108 Ambulance Services)