Trauma care is an essential part of the Right to Life under Article 21-Supreme Court

Observing that access to trauma and emergency medical care is an essential part of the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court has directed all States and Union Territories to operationalise the emergency helpline number ‘112’ within three months.

The directions were issued by a Bench comprising Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking recognition of trauma care as a constitutional right and the implementation of a uniform emergency medical response system across the country.

Key Observations by the Court

• The Court stressed that timely medical intervention is crucial in saving lives.
• It observed that every minute spent without medical intervention or urgent care significantly narrows the scope for survival.
• Highlighting the importance of quick response systems, the Bench remarked that
  “Swiftness is quite literally like medicine.”

Major Directions Issued

The Supreme Court directed States and UTs to:

• Operationalise the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS)-112 within three months.
• Establish a Good Samaritan grievance redressal mechanism at both physical and digital levels.
• Appoint designated nodal officers at district and State levels to address grievances related to Good Samaritan protection.

Existing Government Initiatives Mentioned by the Court

The Court noted that the Union government has already introduced several measures to improve emergency healthcare, including:

• PM RAHAT Scheme for cashless treatment of accident victims.
• Good Samaritan Rules to protect bystanders helping accident victims.
• National Ambulance Code for standardised ambulance services.
• ERSS-112 framework for integrated emergency response.

However, the Court observed that implementation across States and UTs remains “scanty and fragmented,” necessitating stronger enforcement and coordination.