The Need for The Formalisation Of EMS In India
Over the years, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in India has witnessed significant development, aided by advancements in medical technology, infrastructure, and skilled paramedics. However, with the lack of a dedicated medical/governing body responsible for its standardisation, EMS services as a sector in India is still largely fragmented and disorganised. While private EMS services are available, they are usually expensive and lack common accessibility and awareness.
One of the contributing factors to the staggering growth of EMS in the country is the absence of a standard emergency helpline number. The United States has been a prominent example in the field with their standard emergency helpline number –911 which has been operational for over 50 years now. In India, however, there has been some inconsistency with regard to the standard helpline number. While 102 was officially considered as the official helpline number, it was never uniformly implemented. In 2006, 108 was introduced as the free emergency services number in Andhra Pradesh, and by 2014, it was adopted as the standard number for EMS services by several other states in the country. However, 108, along with other emergency numbers like 102and 1298, are operated by private organisations; in partnership with the public sector, and the awareness regarding these continue to remain low. 112 has long been announced as the national all-in-one emergency number in India, but it is yet to be made universally available. To remedy all of this, awareness regarding EMS services must be incorporated in the country at an institutional level.
The formalisation and standardisation of EMS in India will also drive the attention towards building a strong infrastructure contributing to the efficiency of an emergency medical ambulance. As per national highway authorities in India, an ambulance on a highway should reach the site of the accident within 15 minutes. This becomes a great challenge with the unpredictable weather, road and traffic conditions in India. Evidence to this lies in the fact that during winters, in U.P. and nearby regions, the high amount of fog on the roads has been a cause for several highway pileups due to poor visibility. Combating such a challenge can only be achieved by the Government with strategic infrastructural improvements and changes in the Service Level Agreement between the government and organisations responsible for providing such services.
The Disaster Management department also has a prime role to play in this regard, by making predictive evaluations and analysis of conditions that may contribute to accidents. Not only can this help establish safeguards and preventative measures, but it can also encourage associations between different public and private bodies, along with inter-state collaborations. For instance, the recent natural calamity in Odisha, Cyclone Fani, disrupted the mobile towers leading to communicational barriers. As a result, survivors were also unable to get in touch with the call centre for emergency services. The Disaster Management Department, in such a situation, can step in to assist the people, working in partnership with the Government and the neighbouring states.
Furthermore, till date, there are severe disparities in the standard of training, vehicular capabilities, equipment and infrastructure, and qualifications of paramedics, in the ambulances provided by EMS services in India. Formalization of EMS into an organized sector further highlights the need for a regulatory body responsible for looking into not only the smooth operation of such services but also their adherence to standards. Additionally, as EMS will become an organized sector it will pave the way for creating career opportunities and help in generating employment by hiring and training of paramedics, specialists, nurses and EMTs. Active efforts need to be made to promote awareness regarding 112 which was recently established as India’s all-in-one emergency number in 16 states and Union Territories. With legislative support by the Government and an increased drive for public-private partnerships, the formalisation of EMS in India can be implemented at a national level, with a wide and far-reaching impact on mortality rates in the country.
