SC seeks Centre's reply on plea to ensure adequate life support facilities in ambulances
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and others on a petition seeking directions to enact and implement a framework to ensure that adequate life support facilities are maintained in ambulances at all times.
The apex court agreed to hear the plea which has also sought directions to establish an independent committee to conduct a review of current actual status of the operation, maintenance and regulation of road ambulances to identify the gap between the ground reality and the existing standard operating procedures.
"Issue notice, returnable in four weeks," a bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran said in its October 10 order.
The plea has arrayed the Centre, the ministry of health and family welfare and ministry of road transport and highways as party respondents.
Senior advocate Percival Billimoria and advocate Jasmine Damkewala appeared for petitioners Saiansha Panangipalli and Priya Sarkar.
Panangipalli is the daughter of eminent cardio-thoracic surgeon Dr P Venugopal, who was a former director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Sarkar is Venugopal's wife.
"The petitioners realised the woeful inadequacy of emergency facilities in ambulances when Dr P Venugopal himself succumbed on the way to the hospital emergency room, due to the abysmal lack of emergency life support facilities in the ambulance, being consequently being deprived of oxygen," the plea said.
It said the petitioners do not wish to engage in adversarial litigation but have subsequently found that lack of adequate emergency resources in ambulances across India is a huge concern owing to the absence of enforceable regulation.
The plea said many lives, which could have been saved, were lost unnecessarily because ambulances were unable to supplement emergency services at hospitals, in terms of the lack of necessary life-saving facilities.
It said the 16th common review mission report of the ministry of health and family welfare under the National Health Mission had noted the inadequacies and mismanagement in ambulances of all states.
It said the report highlighted various infirmities in operation of ambulances in India and provided a detailed state-wise analysis on the condition of road ambulances.
The plea said in December 2023, the NITI Aayog had released two comprehensive reports which highlighted the spectrum and load of emergency cases and brought out the prevailing gaps in ambulance services, health infrastructure, human resources and equipment in the provision of optimal care.
The plea said the reports of NITI Aayog identifies the gaps in the operation of road ambulances in India and specifically, highlights issues, including that 90 percent ambulances were being run without proper equipment and basic facilities such as oxygen.
It said inadequate equipment and facilities in an ambulance enhances the possibility of premature death in transit or at least reduces the possibility of a full recovery from a serious ailment, which is violative of the fundamental right to life.
The plea said even though some states prescribe pre-conditions for registration of ambulances, there was no mechanism to either monitor or enforce this requirement once the vehicle was registered.
It has sought directions to authorities concerned to "enact and implement a framework to ensure adequate life support facilities are maintained in ambulances at all times, which facilities should include a list of necessary equipment, supplies and emergency medication".
Besides other prayers, the plea has sought directions to the authorities to establish or continue with a telephone or online helpline facility for public to report complaints pertaining to inadequate or improper facilities in ambulances or overcharging, rash-driving, delay in arrival or reporting of other discrepancies.
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AAP activists detained during Mumbai protest against Raghav Chadha
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Mumbai (PTI): Police on Sunday detained some Aam Aadmi Party activists in Mumbai after they staged a demonstration against Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha, who has crossed over to the BJP, in Khar area.
Aam Aadmi Party's Mumbai unit president Preeti Sharma Menon claimed the police prevented AAP workers from protesting peacefully against "traitor" Chadha and detained local leader Ruben Mascharanhas.
A Khar Police official confirmed that Mascharanhas and some other activists have been taken to the police station, without elaborating.
"@CPMumbaiPolice @mumbaipolice has no other work but to guard Raghav Chaddha’s Mumbai residence. @aapmumbai volunteers were prevented from protesting peacefully against the GADDAR. Ruben has been detained at the Khar Police Station. But BJP is allowed to block roads at their whim," Menon stated.
The AAP's Mumbai unit had planned a protest in the Khar area against Chadha and six other Rajya Sabha MPs of the party who recently joined the BJP.
"Without any detention order or any written communication, I have been taken to the Khar Police Station. Why is @MumbaiPolice so scared of @AAPMumbai's peaceful protest against 'Gaddar' Raghav Chaddha and Sandeep Pathak? We are @ArvindKejriwal's soldiers, we are not going to be cowed down," Mascharanhas said in another post.
The AAP suffered a jolt on Friday when seven of its Rajya Sabha members, including Chadha, Ashok Mittal and Sandeep Pathak, quit the party, with Chadha saying all of them have merged with the BJP, asserting that the Arvind Kejriwal-led party had strayed from its principles, values and core morals.
VIDEO | Mumbai: AAP workers protest outside Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha’s residence.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 26, 2026
On Friday, the AAP suffered a jolt when seven of its Rajya Sabha MPs Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikram Sahni and Swati Maliwal quit and merged… pic.twitter.com/GWKCSvDrOJ
