On average, around 30,000 calls are being received at government-run 108 emergency ambulance services every day of which more than 20,000 calls are related to medical emergency purposes, senior officials said here on Wednesday.

Reviewing the citizen-centric governance mechanism, Chief Secretary Sri Suresh Chandra Mahapatra said the unified emergency call number (112) has now been functionalized in the State.

Mahapatra while directing the authorities concerned to make the emergency response system full proof with least response time emphasized upon minimizing the response time between the receipts of a call and reaching of the vehicle at service delivery point.

In the first stage, the emergency call numbers 100 and 101 of the police and fire service have been integrated with the unified number 112. The home department has been asked to undertake continuous and extensive awareness activities about the new unified number so that people could make use of the system, Chief Secretary Mahapatra informed.

Considering the importance of the ambulance service at critical hours of life, the concerned departments have been directed to make the new system fully equipped both in terms of technology, manpower, and real-time location monitoring of the ambulances.

He further directed to appropriately train the personnel at the call center for handling 108 calls and providing immediate service to the people. With the stabilization of the new unified system, emergency helpline numbers of other departments would be integrated with it in phases.

The State emergency response center (SERC) is now functioning round the clock with 124 call-takers with computers aided digitized systems and 551 vehicles for providing services. In the month of August, a total number of 8,708 calls were registered in the call center out of which 7,957 related to police services 585, related to fire services, and 166 calls were provided through the call center itself. Besides, 1915 calls were forwarded to ambulance services. It was decided that more vehicles would be hired for providing immediate emergency services to the people, said officials.

Director-General of Police Abhaya, Additional Chief Secretary Home Sanjeev Chopra, Director National Health Mission Mrs. Salini Pandit, Director General Fire Services M. Akshaya, Special Secretary Home Santosh Bala, along with senior officers of concerned departments participated in the deliberations.