The government funded free ambulance service, '108 from EMRI' (Emergency Management and Research Institute) will be extended to remaining eight districts of Tamil Nadu by September-end.
The service is available in 24 districts of the state with 206 vehicles and it will be expanded to the remaining eight districts with an increased fleet of 385 vehicles, an official release said.
The vehicle fleet will be subsequently enhanced to 445 by year-end, the release said adding the state had allocated Rs. 55.13 crore this year against Rs. 29.29 crore last year.
A total of 20,000 persons utilised the service every month. The facility was launched last year on the birth centenary of DMK founder and former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi reviewed the operations of the 108-EMRI today, the release added.