3 days ago
Goa's emergency medical services are a model for India
Written by Vishwajit P Rane
Across India, millions die not from lack of medical care, but from the inability to access it in time. The precious 'golden hour' — those critical first 60 minutes after an emergency — becomes a race against time that too many families lose. This healthcare gap hits India's poorest the hardest, where medical emergencies bring double tragedy: Fear of losing a loved one and crushing medical bills that destroy generations of progress.
Before 2008, Goa faced typical emergency care challenges despite advanced infrastructure. Unpredictable delays, fragmented services, and economic barriers particularly affected migrant workers and daily labourers. Geographic complexities, narrow roads, the tourist influx, and scattered communities compounded these problems.
The journey of revolutionary transformation began in September 2008 with the establishment of Goa's 108 Emergency Medical Services through partnerships with EMRI Green Health Services. Starting with 18 Basic Life Support ambulances, this initiative reimagined emergency care beyond simple transport to integrated response systems. This transformation needed more investment and a dedicated control system which got more prominence after 2014 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi envisioned a path towards affordable and accessible healthcare for all.
Today, Goa has a fleet of 103 vehicles, including Advanced Life Support ambulances, Cardiac Care units, Neo-Natal ambulances, and bike ambulances that navigate Goa's unique landscape. This diversification addresses geographic, economic, and social barriers that lead to healthcare exclusion.
The state-of-the-art Command and Control Centre in Bambolim operates 24/7, with an average response time of less than 12 minutes. GPS-enabled vehicles, Computer-Aided Dispatch systems, and Electronic Patient Care Records create seamless coordination between responders and hospitals.
So far, 16 Emergency Care Centres across Primary and Community Health Centres have handled over 5,24,000 emergencies, proving distributed care effectiveness. The 104 Health Helpline, launched in 2018, processed over 79,334 calls during Covid-19, serving as a vital public health communication bridge in Goa.
The Community First Responder programme trains one family member per household in emergency medical assistance, creating distributed networks of first responders. This community-based approach recognises that sustainable emergency response must build local capacity, not just rely on professional services.
The numbers tell a powerful story: Over 8,10,000 emergencies handled, more than 60,435 lives saved, and over 1,38,000 road accident victims transported safely. Beyond statistics, the service has gained national recognition, with multiple states studying Goa's model for adaptation.
When emergency care becomes universally accessible, families gain freedom to pursue business ventures previously considered too risky. The World Health Organisation found that over 60 million Indians fall into poverty annually due to healthcare expenses — Goa's model breaks this destructive cycle.
Women, especially, benefit from accessible emergency childbirth care, gaining confidence in family planning decisions. The peace of mind from healthcare security enables families to dream bigger, invest in the future, and pursue opportunities that drive prosperity.
Emergency medical services work as powerful economic liberation tools. When comprehensive emergency coverage provides financial protection, small business owners, daily wage workers, and migrant labourers can engage more confidently in productive work. Communities with reliable emergency services typically experience increased economic activity as residents feel secure enough to invest locally.
The Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) which provides free transportation for pregnant women and sick newborns from public health facilities back to their homes after delivery or treatment have assisted over 50,660 pregnant women and facilitated more than 5,000 emergency deliveries in Goa. The STEMI initiative has substantially reduced heart attack death rates through coordinated rapid response protocols.
Goa's success demonstrates a practical implementation of the Prime Minister's healthcare vision on a larger scale. The key elements that enable successful replication across India include treating emergency care as a public service rather than a market product, ensuring universal access regardless of economic status. The integration of advanced technological systems with skilled personnel creates powerful combinations that maximise effectiveness, while community empowerment initiatives build local capacity alongside professional services. Continuous improvement through evidence-based enhancement and systematic monitoring ensures sustained quality and responsiveness to evolving needs. This comprehensive approach has earned the model international recognition, positioning India as a global leader in innovative emergency healthcare delivery and attracting valuable opportunities for knowledge sharing and technical cooperation with international health organisations.
The state health department is now focusing on artificial intelligence applications in the health sector, expanded telemedicine integration, and enhanced climate change adaptation. Integration with broader digital health systems will enable transition from reactive emergency response toward proactive health promotion and disease prevention.
Goa's Emergency Medical Services transformation addresses systematic challenges while advancing inclusive development. This initiative goes beyond traditional healthcare to become a powerful tool for social justice and economic progress in the state.
The model validates treating healthcare as strategic investment in human potential rather than welfare spending. By ensuring universal access to excellent emergency care regardless of economic circumstances, the service makes real the constitutional promise of healthcare as fundamental right while contributing to poverty reduction and social mobility.
As India pursues the Prime Minister's vision of a healthy, prosperous nation, Goa's experience provides valuable evidence that emergency medical services can catalyse comprehensive social transformation. The integration of immediate medical response with broader social support offers a practical blueprint for healthcare delivery that addresses both disease burdens and social factors affecting health.
In India's development journey, Goa's emergency medical services emerges as an inspiring chapter where technology and humanity, efficiency and empathy, innovation and tradition create something truly special — not merely a healthcare service, but a beacon of hope lighting pathways toward a more equal, compassionate, and prosperous future for all Indians.
The writer is the Health Minister of Goa
