- (1.) In Civil Writ Petition No. 6348 of 2011, a prayer has been made that directions be issued to the States of Punjab & Haryana and Union Territory, Chandigarh to provide 24 hours ambulance service equipped with global positioning system, ventilators and other medical equipments and well trained para medical staff in their respective States, whereas in Civil Writ Petition No. 19780 of 2011 a direction has been sought to be issued for providing toll free around the clock Helpline No. 104, as has been done in many other States.
(2.) On issuance of notice of motion, both the States of Punjab & Haryana and Union Territory, Chandigarh have filed their respective replies time and again indicating therein the action taken in that regard. After perusal of the replies filed by both the States of Punjab & Haryana and Union Territory, Chandigarh, on 28.3.2012, the following order was passed by this Court:- We have perused the affidavit dated 27.3.2012 filed by the Medical Superintendent-cum-Joint Principal Medical Officer, GMCH, Sector 16, Chandigarh on behalf of the Chandigarh Administration. In the said affidavit it has been stated that in addition to the 10 ambulances equipped with basic life support system that are available as on date, a decision has been taken to put 7 more ambulances on the road. In the first phase 4 ambulances equipped with advanced life support system will be made available. Thereafter, in the second phase, 3 ambulances with basic life support system are to be provided. The above decision is subject to the approval of the higher authorities of the Chandigarh Administration. Along with the affidavit of the Chandigarh Administration, the Emergency Response Service i.e. EMRI model prevailing in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan has been enclosed and separately the system prevailing in the States of Bihar and West Bengal has also been enclosed. While the Chandigarh Administration is left with the option of implementing the decisions taken with regard to enhanced number of ambulance services, as referred to above, we direct the said respondent to place before us the detailed scheme which is considered to be most suitable and appropriate for Chandigarh after a comparative evaluation of the salient features of the EMRI model prevailing in the two sets of States referred to above. The Chandigarh Administration shall also file a report indicating the number of funeral vans that are available in the city. Insofar as the State of Punjab is concerned, a perusal of the reply dated 29.1.2012 read with earlier replies dated 10.1.2012 and 11.11.2011 would indicate that the State of Punjab has drawn up an agreement with one M/s Ziquitsa Healthcare, Mumbai for providing ambulance service in the State. It has been stated in the replies of the State, as referred to above, that the ambulance service as on date is working reasonably well. The necessary facts and figures in this connection, including the time taken to reach a patient to the nearest healthcare unit in the urban as well as the rural areas, have been mentioned. Details of total number of patients carried in the ambulances during the period April to October-2011 have also been set out along with average time taken for the ambulance to reach a patient. While it may be possible to agree with the State of Punjab that the ambulance service that exists as on date in the State is taking care of the needy persons in a reasonable manner, the court is of the view that a comparative study should be made by the State of Punjab of the ambulance services available in the other States which information is already available on record (affidavit of the Chandigarh Administration dated 27.3.2012). Thereafter, the State of Punjab will come up before the court with a concrete proposal as to how the ambulance service in existence as on date may be improved and better service provided to the needy persons. Insofar as the information with regard to the funeral vans is concerned, the State of Punjab in the reply dated 29.2.2012 has stated that the same is the responsibility of the municipal body. The Municipal Council, Mohali is, therefore, impleaded in this PIL as respondent No.10. Shri G.S. Atariwala, Advocate who is present in court, appears on behalf of the aforesaid Municipal Council. On the next date fixed, Shri Atariwala shall file a report before the court on behalf of the Municipal Council, Mohali indicating the number of funeral vans that are available in Mohali and whether such funeral vans are fit and equipped for the last journey of a deceased. Insofar as the State of Haryana is concerned, a reply dated 23.11.2011 has been filed giving details of the mortuary vans which are available in Panchkula. Insofar as the ambulance service is concerned, in the aforesaid reply of the State of Haryana, a comparative study of the facilities available in States of Uttrakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and in the State of Haryana has been laid before the court and it has been asserted that the facilities currently available in Haryana are better and also cost conducive compared to the other States. The details of the ambulance service available in the State indicates that a workable system providing reasonable facilities to the needy is available in the State of Haryana as on date. However, taking into account that the necessity of improvement is a continuous process requiring constant efforts and rethinking, we are of the view that the State of Haryana should also undertake a comparative study of the ambulance facilities available in the States of Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan on the one hand and West Bengal and Bihar on the other, the details of which are available in the affidavit dated 27.3.2012 of the Chandigarh Administration and thereafter revert to the court with its views as to how the existing services can be best improved. We make it clear that on the receipt of the responses of the U.T. Administration and the States of Punjab and Haryana as well as the Municipal Council of Mohali, the Court would be inclined to pass final orders in this PIL on the next date fixed. To enable the Court to do so, the necessary information in terms of the present order be laid before the court on or before the next date fixed.
(3.) Pursuant to the above orders, an affidavit of Gurdip Singh, Additional Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Punjab, was filed wherein it was stated that as on today, 240 Ambulances are providing Emergency Response Service in the State of Punjab. In the affidavit dated 10.1.2012 filed by Satish Chandra, Principal Secretary to Government of Punjab, Department of Health & Family Welfare, details of the ambulances, deployment thereof and services provided to various patients were given. Paragraphs No. 2 and 3 that affidavit read thus:- 2. That deponent submits that 240 Ambulances are presently in operation in the State of Punjab in order to provide for Emergency Response Service. These ambulances are FORCE company and make and are manned by specially trained Driver and Emergency Medical Technician (referred to as EMT). These EMTs are connected through online telephone to the specially trained doctors who are specialized in handling medical and pregnancy related emergencies. The control room is manned by specially trained doctors round the clock from where all the Ambulances are controlled and monitored through Global Positioning System (GPS). In this manner first aid is provided under medical supervision to the medically sick patients in case of emergencies during transportation without any further loss of time. The detail of life saving medicines and consumables, medical and other equipment as provided for in each Ambulance is enclosed herewith as AnnexureR-7/1. It may be pointed out that one Ambulance has been provided for a population of 1.15 lacs. The ambulances are so stationed so as to be within a vicinity of 20-30 Kms. (Urban-Rural each side). The response time is about 20 minutes in Urban Areas and 30 minutes in Rural Areas and patient is shifted to the nearest designated referral hospital. Thus, within the first Golden hour emergency victims are being provided immediate medical attention and treatment with the help of specially trained Emergency Medical Technicians under the overall supervision and guidance of medical experts manning form the control room. 3. That deponent submits that the actual performance of the 240 ambulances deployed in phased manner during the period April 2011 to October 2011 is tabulated herein below for kind perusal and facility of reference of this Hon'ble High Court:- i) Central Control Room has attended 6.52 lac calls. ii) 97157 medical dispatches have been sent. iii) Out of 97157 medical dispatches, 75273 emergency cases have been given treatment and such cases have been taken to hospitals as per following details:- JUDGEMENT_358_LAWS(P&H)8_20121.html;