Guwahati: GVK-EMRI 108 Mrityunjoy services completed 12 years of saving lives in Assam on Thursday.

In 12 years of its operation, Mrityunjoy has attended 42,71,474 emergencies and has saved 1,73,670 lives in critical condition, a press released said.

It may be recalled that on November 6, 2008, the service was launched by then chief minister Tarun gogoi, in presence with Himanta Biswa Sarma, under the aegis of NHRM.

The service started with 20 ambulances in Guwahati and eventually covered the entire state within a year’s time.

At present, it has 695 road ambulances all across Assam and 9 boat ambulances.

A completely free service where, anyone, anywhere, in the state can call the toll free number 108 for all emergencies and pregnancy related requiring home to hospital and hospital to home transfer.

The 108 number is accessible from a landline, mobile phone, local telephone booth and can be dialled without any prefix or suffix.

Within a span of eleven years it has become a lifeline for the people of the state and helped in change the attitude and perception in health delivery mechanism and created an environment of building the competency in providing pre-hospital care.

It has also generated ample opportunity for accessibility and timely emergency service in organised way and saved thousands of lives in the state since inception.