BMC Introduces 30-Minute Emergency Treatment Rule in Municipal Hospitals

New casualty protocol aims to ensure faster care for patients; strict action warned against doctors and staff who fail to follow guidelines.

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has introduced a new emergency protocol for civic hospitals, making it compulsory for doctors to examine and begin treatment of patients within 30 minutes of their arrival at casualty departments.

The decision comes after several complaints about patients being made to wait for long periods in emergency wards or being shifted to other hospitals without receiving proper initial treatment.

According to the new guidelines, every patient arriving at the emergency department must first be examined by the medical officer on duty. After this initial check-up, the patient’s condition will be reviewed by the concerned registrar or postgraduate assistant medical officer.

The BMC has clearly stated that treatment must begin within 30 minutes of the patient reaching the casualty ward. The civic body has also warned that strict action will be taken against doctors or hospital staff if the rules are not followed.

The protocol also includes specific instructions for handling critically ill patients. Doctors must first stabilise such patients before sending them for tests or transferring them to another hospital.

Once a patient arrives, hospital staff must immediately complete the registration process and start treatment according to admission procedures. Diagnostic tests such as X-ray, ultrasound, CT scan or MRI should only be conducted after the patient’s condition is stabilised.

The guidelines further state that trainee doctors cannot treat patients independently. They must work under the supervision of senior doctors at all times.

The new circular also includes detailed instructions for medico-legal cases. Hospital staff must record important details such as the patient’s name, age, address, MLC number and the identity of the person who brought the patient to the hospital.

Casualty medical officers must also maintain proper records of their duty hours and patient handovers in the MLC register.

In addition, the BMC has introduced strict procedures for transferring patients to other hospitals. Before a patient is moved, hospital staff must ensure that the patient is registered and given initial treatment.

A detailed transfer note must also be prepared, mentioning the patient’s medical history, vital signs, provisional diagnosis, treatment given and the reason for transfer.

Patients should only be shifted through ambulances equipped with oxygen, essential medicines and resuscitation equipment. The patient must also be accompanied by a house officer, registrar or postgraduate medical officer during the transfer.

The new rules come after several incidents in recent months highlighted lapses in emergency care at municipal hospitals.

In one such case, a 62-year-old woman with a serious head injury had to be transferred from Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Care Municipal Hospital to Dr R N Cooper Hospital after the CT scan machine at the first hospital was not working.

Following such incidents, the BMC health department has decided to enforce stricter emergency protocols to ensure that patients receive timely treatment and are not left waiting in casualty wards.