Chennai: Observing that 108 Ambulance Services are Life Saving Services, the Madras high court has said the persons working in ambulance vans must maintain utmost integrity and devotion to duty.
“These ambulances are the life savers and the essence of time is of paramount importance to save the lives. Any negligence, lapse or misconducts, undoubtedly, would affect the very emergency services to be provided to the citizens of this great nation and the very purpose and the object of the scheme itself would be defeated”, said Justice S.M.Subramaniam while quashing an order of the assistant commissioner of Labour, which rejected a petition from GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute, 108 Ambulance Services, to approve its order dismissing R.Saravanan from service for alleged misconduct.
The judge said the ‘right to life’ is the fundamental right. Providing medical services by the state is now construed as an integral part of Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Life does not mean an animal life. State must ensure a decent life to all its citizens. Providing a decent medical facility to the citizen of this great nation is the Constitutional mandate and a fundamental right of a citizen. Therefore, the State must ensure that decent medical facilities are provided to the citizen, more specifically, on emergency services, the judge added.
The judge said the ambulance services were noble services. The delay in operating the ambulance services would cause death to a patient. Therefore, this court was of an opinion that any negligence or lapse in providing the ambulance services was also to be construed as an integral part of Article 21 of the Constitution of India, because it was a life saver facility provided and the protection of life and providing a decent medical facility was also a Constitutional perspective. In this context, the courts have to consider that the administration of the
petitioner management should ensure prompt and timely services to be provided to the needy citizen. A man in distress, if not saved immediately, then the very purpose and the object of this ambulance services would be defeated, the judge added.
