nals manning ambulances makes quality of care heterogeneous.
EMS services have remained unaccountable, and
this has led to failure to introduce corrective measures for
improving EMS in India.
However, steps are being taken in the right direction. The
Gujarat state government set up the Gujarat Emergency
Medical Services Authority (GEMSA). This was the first
state to actually pass an Emergency Services Regulation in the
country. By bringing together government, NGOs and other
private agencies, a statewide system of emergency care has
been set up, which could signal a tide of vital change in EMS.
Collaborations with internationally acclaimed institutes like
Stanford University, CA (EMRI) and the American Association
of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) have provided
several breakthroughs in technical and educational expertise.
There is palpable vigor among the bureaucratic brass and
political leadership regarding re-initiating the process for
allotting a unique emergency response number. How
successful this push will be remains to be seen!