By Xinhua,
New Delhi : The number 108 will soon become India’s version of 911 — the number the U.S. dials for an emergency, according to the Times of India Saturday.
After negotiations for almost a year, Indian Telecom Minister A. Raja has indicated in a letter to Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss recently that 108 is being finalized as the national toll-free trauma care number.
“I have just received an official communication from Raja. I am optimistic that 108, which is currently being used by some states individually as their emergency response number, will soon be made the national trauma care number,” Ramadoss said.
Once a caller dials 108, a 24-hour call center will receive the information, locate an ambulance closest to the emergency spot through GPRS technology and dispatch it within an hour.