Chapter I PRELIMINARY

1. (1) This Act may be called the Gujarat Emergency Medical Services Act, 2007.
2. (2) It extends to the whole of the State of Gujarat.
3. (3) This section shall come into force at once and the remaining provisions shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of the Act and any reference in any such provision to the date of the commencement of this Act shall be construed as the reference to the date of coming into force of that provision.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

1. (1) “Advanced Life Support” means special services designed to provide definitive pre-hospital emergency medical care including but not limited to cardiopulmonary resuscitation, cardiac monitoring, cardiac defibrillation, advanced airway management, intravenous therapy, administration of specified drugs and other medicinal preparations, and other specified techniques and procedures administered by authorised personnel under the direct supervision of a base hospital as part of a local emergency medical services system at the scene of an emergency, during transport to an acute care hospital, during inter facility transfer, and while in the emergency department of an acute care hospital until responsibility is assumed by the emergency or other medical staff of that hospital;
2. (2) “Authority” means the Gujarat Emergency Medical Services Authority established under section 4;
3. (3) “base hospital” means a hospital to which a City Council or, as the case may be, a District Council has, by a contract entered into with its management, entrusted the work of providing or directing the life support system or limited life support system and pre hospital care system;
4. (4) “basic life support” means emergency first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedures which, as a minimum, include recognizing respiratory and cardiac arrest and starting the proper application of cardiopulmonary resuscitation to maintain life without invasive techniques until the victim may be transported or until life support is available;
5. (5) “bye-laws” means the bye-laws made under this Act by a City Council or, as the case may be, a District Council;
6. (6) “city” means a city as defined in clause
7. (8) of section 2 of the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporations Act, 1949;
8. (7) “City Council” means a City Emergency Medical Services Council established for a city under section 20;
9. (8) “Commissioner of Health” means the Commissioner of Health of the State of Gujarat;
10. (9) “Director” means the Director of Emergency Medical Services Authority appointed under sub-section
11. (1) of section 3;
12. (10) “District” means a district constituted from time to time under the Bombay Land Revenue Code, 1879 and in the case where a district as so constituted includes a City, excluding that City;
13. (11) “District Council” means a District Emergency Medical Services Council established for a district under section 20;
14. (12) “Emergency Medical Services” means the services provided to meet with a medical emergency;
15. (13) “Emergency Medical Technician” means an individual who is trained in all aspects of basic life support according to standards prescribed by the Authority and who holds a valid certificate issued by the Authority;
16. (14) “Medical Council” means the Medical Council of India constituted under the Medical Council Act, 1956;
17. (15) “Medical Council Act” means the Medical Council Act, 1956;
18. (16) “medical emergency” means a situation—
    • (a) where an individual needs such immediate medical attention and the absence of which would place his health in serious jeopardy, or
    • (b) where the potential for such need is perceived by emergency staff;
19. (17) “member” means a member of the Authority and includes the Chairperson of the Authority;
20. (18) “regulations” means regulations made under this Act;
21. (19) “rules” means rules made under this Act;
22. (20) “State Medical Register” means the register maintained under the Gujarat Medical Council Act, 1967.