Noting that a citizen’s right to trauma care is an integral part of the right to life, the Supreme Court has directed the States and Union Territories to integrate all emergency/ambulance helplines into a single helpline number ‘112’ within three months for emergency responses.A bench of Justices JK Maheshwari and AS Chandurkar also directed them to set up a functional grievance redressal system under the Good Samaritan laws. The apex court said there is a need for a systemic intervention, creation of a uniform framework for trauma care, creation of public awareness, standardization of first aid skills and appropriate Good Samaritan laws, as “the right of citizens to trauma care is an integral part of the right to life enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution”.The bench said, “The State/UT shall complete complete technical and operational integration of all emergency/ambulance helplines (100, 101, 108, 102, 1033, 1091, etc.) into Helpline 112 within a period of three months and give concurrent mass-media publicity to Helpline 112 and report on compliance.”“The Union of India (Ministry of Health/Ministry of Road Transport and Highways) is permitted to issue a medical rescue protocol for trauma cases within a period of three months, and all States/UTs are directed to implement the same at the State/UT level within three months of its issue,” the bench said.