During the winding up of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) a bench comprising of Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice Puneet Guptaemphasized the critical need for rapid medical response systems in public health emergencies.

The PIL filed by White Globe, a registered trust, through its chairman Shoaib Iqbal Qureshi, has sought a writ of mandate directing the state to lay down a comprehensive standard operating procedure (SOP) for smooth movement of ambulances, ensuring transport timely delivery of patients to hospitals without delay. The trust stressed the importance of efficient ambulance passage, particularly in congested urban areas where traffic can severely affect response times.

To ensure a coherent response to the concerns of the petition, the Court in its earlier order appointed the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir as the Nodal Officer and directed him to prepare an affidavit consolidating the inputs of various departments to present a unified stand on the problems. high.

Reading the affidavit filed on February 22, 2024, the bench noted the detailed contributions from departments like National Health Mission (NHM) J&K, Directorate of Health Services and Regional Transport Office, Kashmir, which highlighted key initiatives under Jammu & Kashmir Emergency Medical Services (JKEMS) Programme, implemented in collaboration with BVG India Pvt. Ltd. from March 2020.

The court noted that JKEMS currently operates a fleet of GPS-equipped ambulances, including 71 Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulances and additional Basic Life Support (BLS) vehicles, which can be accessed through a toll-free 108 service, and response times are designed to be within 20 minutes in urban areas and 30 minutes in rural areas, increasing fleet coverage and efficiency.

In addition, the affidavit reported that obsolete ambulances that were no longer fit for service were withdrawn and auctioned, ensuring that the active fleet complied with the National Ambulance Code. The affidavit also mentioned the collaboration with the Traffic Department, whereby emergency movement information is communicated to facilitate easier passage, along with a 24/7 control room in Srinagar to provide real-time assistance for emergency vehicle traffic.

After a thorough analysis of the affidavit of the nodal officer, the court acknowledged the substantial efforts already undertaken by various departments to address the issues raised in the PIL. In particular, the Court observed,

“The petitioner submitted a copy of the order issued by the Superintendent of Police, Traffic, Srinagar City in November, 2015, under the heading ‘Standing Operating Procedure for Free Passage of Ambulances’ to ensure free movement. of ambulances in Srinagar city.”

Recognizing the progress made, the Court found that it is not necessary to extend the case. “After perusing the statements made in the affidavit (supra) by the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, we are of the opinion that most of the departments have already taken note of the grievances presented to the Court in the present Public Interest Litigation and have taken appropriate steps to fix the situation.” the Court noted.

Directing the chief secretaries and DGPs of both the UTs, in coordination with the health departments, to work out a standardized mechanism to ensure uninterrupted movement of ambulance in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the court closed the PIL observation,

“Accordingly, it is not necessary to keep this petition pending and it is disposed of”

Case Title: White Globe Vs State of J&K

Reference: 2024 LiveLaw (JKL) 297

Click here to read/download the Judgment