Andhra Pradesh

Award for EMRI chief

TIRUPATI: Venkat Changavalli, Chief Executive Officer of Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) has been conferred the title ‘Pranadaata’ by Abhinaya Arts, a Tirupati-based socio-cultural organisation at its eighth anniversary celebrations that concluded here on Sunday.

EMRI, a voluntary organisation, is known for running the ‘108’ ambulance service across the State. With 502 ambulances operating across the State to meet 3,000 emergencies everyday and saving 65 lives on an average, EMRI has become synonymous with emergency calls, be it to police, fire or medical services. The State government is now meeting the operational expenditure of the project by funding up to 95 p.c. of the cost. Planning nationwide expansion, the institute plans to run 10,000 ambulances across the country. Film actor Sarat Babu presented the award to Mr. Changavalli.

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