By Arun Pratap SinghGarhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 29 May: Former Director General of the Health Department in Uttarakhand has sought urgent government intervention towards overhaul of medical emergency and trauma care infrastructure in view of a recent Supreme Court order. In a letter addressed to the Chief Secretary today, former Director General (DG) Health & Director of Medical Education, Dr RP Bhatt pointed out the urgent need for Uttarakhand government to comply with the Supreme Court (SC) directives mandating comprehensive overhaul of emergency medical response system. It may be recalled that, in a landmark judgement delivered on 26 May with the aim to improve road safety and ensure emergency medical care in case of road accidents, the Supreme Court mandated a comprehensive overhaul of the system for every state. However, while a massive improvement in emergency medical care and trauma care infrastructure is required to be undertaken by the state’s health department, the same can’t be achieved without proactive action and release of funds by the government.
Dr Bhatt has asked the state to initiate swift action on the Supreme Court’s order of 26 May declaring trauma care a constitutional right under Article 21. The directive mandates a comprehensive overhaul of emergency medical response systems across the country. In this regard, through this letter, Dr Bhatt has sought constitution of a high-powered Task Force to ensure effective implementation in Uttarakhand’s fragile and difficult Himalayan terrain.
It may be recalled that, in a historic judgment delivered on 26 May, 2026 in the SaveLIFE Foundation versus Union of India case, the SC recognised access to trauma care as an integral component of the Right to Life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. The apex court issued a series of time-bound directives to all states and Union Territories aimed at strengthening emergency response and trauma management systems nationwide.
The court has directed all emergency helpline numbers including 100, 101, 102, 108, 1033 and 1091 to be integrated into the unified emergency number 112 within three months. It also ordered the establishment of grievance redressal mechanisms for Good Samaritans and the launch of multilingual public awareness campaigns to encourage bystander assistance during accidents and emergencies.
Further, the Court has also mandated major reforms in ambulance services, including compliance with AIS-125 standards, GPS tracking of ambulances and structured audits to assess response times and quality of services. The states have also been instructed establishment of trauma registries linked to a national database within four months and operationalise a standardised national medical rescue protocol within three months.
The SC has additionally directed full implementation of the PM RAHAT scheme to ensure cashless treatment for accident victims and ordered grading of all public and private hospitals based on their trauma care capacity, extending the exercise beyond national highways to district headquarters and urban centres.
In this regard, former DG Health and Director Medical Education Dr RP Bhatt today wrote to Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, stressing on the urgent need for immediate institutional action in Uttarakhand. In his communication, Dr Bhatt highlighted that Uttarakhand’s sensitive Himalayan geography, remote settlements and difficult access to emergency services make compliance with the Supreme Court’s directives especially critical for the state.
Dr Bhatt called for the constitution of a high-powered Task Force empowered to coordinate among departments, conduct a detailed situational analysis, identify existing gaps, map available resources and prepare a time-bound implementation roadmap. He emphasised that the Supreme Court’s directive represented ‘the best for saving human life and mitigating morbidity’ and therefore required meticulous planning and the involvement of domain experts for effective execution.
Dr Bhatt also points out that urgency of the matter in the state is amplified by Uttarakhand’s growing emergency care challenges. The ongoing Char Dham Yatra and the forthcoming Haridwar Kumbh are expected to bring millions of pilgrims and tourists to the state, significantly increasing the risk of road accidents, medical emergencies and disaster situations in difficult mountainous terrain.
It may also be recalled that the state has initiated planning for a comprehensive trauma care network in collaboration with AIIMS Rishikesh and HNB Medical University. The proposed network focuses on ensuring rapid medical intervention during the critical “golden hour” immediately after accidents. The initiative includes mapping of healthcare facilities, development of mobile-based emergency alert systems and specialised training programmes for paramedics and community health workers. However, while these initiatives are useful in themselves, they do not suffice the mandatory requirements as directed by the apex court and further urgent measures would be required towards ensuing an effective compliance of the SC orders. It may also be pointed out there that the importance of timely compliance assumes even greater significance in view of India’s alarming accident statistics. The country records nearly 4.67 lakh accidental deaths annually, of which around 1.77 lakh are caused by road accidents. Several studies have indicated that nearly half of these fatalities could be prevented through timely trauma care and rapid emergency response.
For Uttarakhand, where mountainous roads, landslides and disaster-prone conditions frequently delay medical assistance, the absence of a robust trauma response mechanism has often resulted in avoidable deaths. The Supreme Court has made it clear that failure to implement its directives would amount to violation of the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.
The apex court is scheduled to review compliance after four months. In Uttarakhand, it is certain that piecemeal interventions will no longer suffice. With judicial pressure mounting, CSR-backed ambulance support being mobilised and trauma care networks under preparation, the state now faces a crucial opportunity to transform its emergency medical response infrastructure before the next disaster or major pilgrimage season puts its preparedness to test.
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