The Emergency Management Research Institute (EMRI), known for 108 ambulance service, is in talks with donors and philanthropists to support its future activities apart from sustaining the quality of service.
"It would take about two months for the formalities to be completed," EMRI Chief Executive Officer Venkat Changavalli said.
The CEO said they were open to takeover bids by government or other agencies if they promised efficient services free of cost. "However, There is no bid to take over EMRI by anyone as of now," he said.
The institute offers its ambulance service in eight states and is in the process of finalising agreements in three more states.
Allaying fears of the ambulance service being hit due to the Satyam fiasco, whose founder B Ramalinga Raju had conceived the idea, he said EMRI was an independent body and its operations would have no bearing with the happenings of Satyam.
"EMRI is not connected with the Satyam Foundation or the Byrraju Foundation and it has not made any payments to Satyam Computer during the three-year period since its inception in 2005," he clarified.
However, it benefited from the largess of Ramalinga Raju and his family. Raju supported the operations of EMRI for the first two years including setting up a call centre and buying 30 ambulances in 2005 by spending Rs 34 crore.
Last week, Axis Bank, from which it raised about Rs 38 crore loan in 2006-07 to meet its expenditure, had asked EMRI to provide a new guarantee to the loan as personal security of Ramalinga Raju was not valid in the present circumstances. "EMRI is looking for a new guarantor," informed Changavalli.
The state government has been bearing 95 per cent of the expenses from April 2008 with EMRI providing the remaining 5 per cent along with the leadership costs, he said.
The cost of operating one ambulance is about 15 lakh per annum. EMRI operates 800 ambulances in Andhra Pradesh alone. Of the Rs 120 crore expenditure for the emergency service, the state government bears about Rs 114 crore and EMRI Rs 6 crore apart from salaries of the management and executives.
On an average, EMRI spends about Rs 10 crore in each state. "Some corporates are willing to be our members (membership fee is Rs 5 crore). Some are also willing to spend the entire expenditure in a particular state,'' Changavalli said, adding EMRI has assets worth Rs 51 crore. It would induct more members to the board when it meets on January 20.
The institute is engaged in research and training and has developed medical technologies. It depends on Satyam Computer for the information technology support, which is offered free of cost. "Satyam Computer would continue to be our technology partner," Changavalli said.
