Darker side  There is a popular feeling among the general public that the Mrityunjoy emergency ambulance service, commonly known as 108, that has been in operation for over a year now under the public-private partnership has been contributing greatly towards providing prompt healthcare to the patients in emergency. And there is reason for that belief as the people have been greatly benefited through their service, especially in odd hours. The ambulances with inbuilt vital emergency services have become a saviour for many families by treating and transporting critical patients safely to important hospitals and nursing homes during emergencies. However, there’s another side of the 108 service which is not known to many for obvious reasons. The other day, a middle-aged person almost fell into a roadside drain, but for some alert passers-by the man with symptoms of nausea, epilepsy and heart attack was caught hold of and taken to safety. The incident took place in front of the residence of an ENT surgeon who promptly called up the 108 service. But what the other side enquired about the patient almost made the surgeon numb as he then realized and visualized about the other (dark) side of the 108 service. A person who is walking alone suddenly falls down and becomes unconscious. At that moment, it’s impossible to know the patient’s name or the whereabouts of his relatives. Under such a situation, what can one do? The only option is to call the 108 ambulance. But the 108 people refuse to come in such cases. This is a vital negative aspect of the 108 service that needs to be looked into properly by the authorities manning the 108s, seen as saviours of people in emergency distress.

Live a dream  Cardiac surgeon Dr Prateek Rao attends to surgeries in the morning and composes Carnatic music at night. Vikram Jain attends a board meeting at 11 am and entertains large crowds with his radio jockeying skills at 9 pm. Pravin Sampat is a financial analyst on weekdays and a historian on weekends. Our own Anupjyoti Choudhury is a top-ranking state public relations official who everyday pursues his passion for culture, be it drama, recitation or anchoring. They and many more such multifaceted people chase their dreams and live their passion. Are you also one with the courage to break through and ‘Be More’ everyday? Watch major Titan had embarked on a new brand philosophy of ‘Be More’ last year with a thought-provoking advertisement featuring brand ambassador Aamir Khan exhorting us to be born every day. In line with its brand philosophy of ‘Be More’, it recently announced ‘Titan India Today Be More Legends Contest — The Search for Explorers’. It is a search for people who believe that they were not born to live just one life but also to pursue a passion, explore the new — places, people, interests, challenges, dreams and a new side to their personality. Details about the contest are available at www.titanworld.com as well as in India Today magazine. The contest is open till November 30, 2009. An eminent editorial panel will judge the entries and shortlist six finalists. Stories of these six finalists will be celebrated and people would be asked to vote for the final winner of Titan Be More Legend. Speaking on the contest, Harish Bhat, COO-Watches, Titan Industries Limited said, “Our endeavour is to appreciate and encourage people to follow their dreams and ‘Be More’ in life. Many of us possess hidden talent and qualities. We make a difference only when we take steps to convert this talent into our passion and pursue our interest, which we always dreamt about doing. This contest is especially for those people who have a quest to ‘Be More’ in life and seek recognition of their hidden talents and the efforts, through which they have followed their dreams.”

Simanta / Mridumoloy