The Maharashtra legislative assembly is expected to pass a bill empowering a council to administer the proposed Emergency Medical Service (EMS) in Mumbai, according to GS Gill, principal secretary, department of medical education and drugs, government of Maharashtra.

"There will be a common access number as well as call centre, besides standardized equipment and protocol. The public will also be given training on basic life support systems. The recent '108' disaster management helpline is a first step. It has not been decided whether it should be integrated with EMS or not," he said.

According to Dr Sanjay Bijwe, officer on special duty at the department of medical education and drugs, government of Maharashtra, "This is our principal secretary's idea and he has been working on it for the past three years now. Initially we tried to take help from the World Bank. But the World Bank is more focused on primary and secondary healthcare. So we are trying to procure funding from other parties including the private sector."

It is learnt that a Los Angeles-based Dr S Balasubramanium of the American Association of Physicians is guiding the Mumbai EMS effort.

According to the plan, Mumbai's hospitals would have to be integrated with the EMS in terms of personnel as well as communications. The council that would come into effect after legislation is expected to administer as well as co-ordinate EMS activities. However, there is also a possibility that the council would be set up through a state government notification, so as to expedite the process. The legislation would follow at a later date.

"Each hospital that is part of this network would have certain facilities. Also, a standard protocol would have to be put in place. At the moment, we are studying the Los Angeles legislation given to us by Dr Balasubramanium. We have also received suggestions from the legal, technical and logistical cells for drafting the bill," Dr Bijwe added.

It is also learnt that a recent meeting to discuss the modalities were attended by Pratima Umarji, principal secretary (law and judiciary), Dr Subhash Salunke, director general health services; Dr WD Tayade, director of education medical research; Dr (Ms) Gore from Sion Hospital, Dr GT Davar, dean of the Grant Medical College, as well as Dr Nilima Kshirsagar of KEM, besides others.