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The Bombay High Court has mandated all educational institutions in Maharashtra to provide first aid and medical facilities for students and employees, and immediate treatment in emergencies, according to LiveLaw.

A division bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and Milind Sathaye observed that educational institutions in larger cities like Mumbai have substantial numbers of students and staff who spend a significant portion of their day away from home. The justices noted that medical emergencies can arise due to commuting (especially in Mumbai) and various activities within these institutions. While some institutions have their own arrangements or transport patients to the nearest hospital during emergencies, delays in timely medical treatment can be fatal, the judges said.

The bench stressed that relying solely on ad-hoc responses for medical emergencies is not adequate. “A structured approach and mandates of law are required to ensure basic medical facilities are readily available on the premises. This necessitates directives from state authorities, with clear consequences for non-compliance, to ensure that educational institutes adhere to standards that deal with the medical emergencies of their students and staff,” the judges said.

The directions came in response to a plea filed by a woman whose daughter, in her final year at a polytechnic college in Mumbai’s Kandivali area, collapsed in her classroom on February 22, 2016, hitting her head on a bench. She was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead due to a haemorrhage.

The bench said that the state’s Higher and Technical Education Department issued a circular on July 10, 2024, with several directives for all schools and colleges. These include compulsory student insurance, the establishment of first aid and sick rooms, and the availability of first aid kits in all departments.

Institutes must also organise medical first aid training, annual medical examination camps, and display boards listing ambulance services and nearby hospitals. One or two designated coordinators must be appointed and trained to manage emergencies and coordinate with hospitals. Institutes are required to collaborate with local doctors for on-call medical services and provide emergency vehicles for transporting patients to hospitals when needed, it said.

The bench issued further directions to ensure effective compliance with the state circular. The Higher and Technical Education Department will issue instructions to educational institutes specifying the legal consequences for non-compliance. The circular will be widely publicised through media, social media, and the department’s website. A helpline number and social media presence will be established for students, parents, and staff to report the non-supply of medical facilities.