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By Nick Heath, 1 May 2008 15:50

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The Indian government will help fund the rollout of a scheme created by an Indian outsourcing veteran to provide the country's first dedicated ambulance service.

For years the country has had no dedicated single number to call an ambulance, with each hospital having their own ambulances and own numbers.

Now the government has agreed to help roll out the Emergency Management and Research Institute 108 service that offers one number and one ambulance fleet - with vehicles as seen here - to serve India's entire population of one billion people by 2010.

Since the service was established by Ramalinga Raju - founder of outsourcer Satyam - in Hyderabad in 2005, it has helped scores of people in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

The government has agreed to fund 75 per cent of the service, with the remaining costs met by Raju and his family, and the running costs expected to hit $500m by 2010.

Photo credit: Nick Heath