Jaipur, July 30 -- Rajasthan will roll out a digital medical emergency referral system statewide, making it the first state in India with a comprehensive network of its kind, officials said. The move follows chief secretary V Srinivas's directive to security-certify SETU - an Udaipur-built platform that lets tertiary hospitals begin preparing for critical patients before they even arrive - ahead of deployment across all government hospitals and medical colleges. Piloted at RNT Medical College in Udaipur, SETU (Simplified Emergency Transfer and Urgent Referral) has already managed over 3,519 emergency cases across 15 districts, replacing "blind arrivals" with real-time alerts, GPS-tracked ambulances and beds reserved in advance - protecting the crucial golden hour that often decides whether a patient in critical condition survives, officials said. Principal secretary, medical and health, Gayatri Rathore, said the statewide rollout of the SETU platform is expected to make Rajasthan the first state in the country to implement a comprehensive digital emergency referral network aimed at reducing treatment delays. She said SETU is not merely a digital platform but a life-saving link between patients and specialist care, enabling faster, better-coordinated and more effective referrals. "Our objective is to ensure that a critically ill patient arriving from any corner of the state receives immediate treatment without losing valuable time after reaching the hospital," the principal secretary said. The decision follows directions issued recently by chief secretary V Srinivas, who asked the department of information technology (DOIT) and the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to undertake security certification of the platform before its statewide deployment, said the official. Under the new system, a patient referred from a Primary Health Centre (PHC), Community Health Centre (CHC) or district hospital will no longer arrive at a tertiary hospital unannounced. Instead, the referring doctor will scan a QR code using a smartphone and upload the patient's diagnosis, clinical condition, referral details and estimated time of arrival (ETA). The information will immediately reach a 24x7 digital control room, allowing specialists to assess the patient's condition while the ambulance is still en route, officials said. If available, the system can also provide live GPS tracking of the ambulance, enabling the receiving hospital to monitor its progress. Based on the patient's condition, the control room alerts the relevant departments - including trauma, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics and other specialties - through the government's CUG communication network. Intensive care or emergency beds are reserved in advance, ensuring that treatment begins the moment the ambulance reaches the hospital. The system has been developed keeping Rajasthan's vast geography in mind, where critically ill patients often travel several hours from remote rural areas to reach medical colleges, officials said. Previously, there was virtually no digital communication between the referring hospital and the receiving tertiary care centre during transit. This meant emergency teams had little time to prepare, often delaying life-saving interventions. SETU replaces this with a real-time digital workflow that allows hospitals to conduct pre-arrival triage, mobilise specialists and prepare emergency infrastructure before the patient reaches the emergency department, officials said, adding that it enables treatment from "Minute Zero" - the instant the ambulance doors open. The Udaipur pilot has already demonstrated significant results. According to official data, more than 3,519 emergency and critical patients have been successfully managed through the SETU platform. The service has covered patients from 15 districts, with the largest number of referrals coming from Udaipur (2,264), followed by Rajsamand (1,147) and Salumber (58). Patients have also been referred from Chittorgarh, Dungarpur, Bhilwara, Pratapgarh, Pali, Sirohi, Ajmer, Jodhpur, Banswara, Nathdwara and even Neemuch in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, with District Hospital Nathdwara accounting for the highest number of referrals from outside Udaipur district, the data shows. The digital referral network has supported a broad spectrum of critical cases. Medical emergencies made up the largest share at 1,785 cases (45.2%), followed by trauma and surgical emergencies at 708 cases (20.4%). Paediatric critical care accounted for 558 cases (10.4%), while obstetrics and gynaecology emergencies numbered 460 cases (24%). The platform also coordinated response during seven major mass casualty incidents. Officials said the platform has also proved valuable in coordinating care during large-scale accident situations where multiple patients require simultaneous treatment. Beyond emergency management, the system includes a quality assurance component. Every patient referred through SETU receives a follow-up call from the control room on the following day to obtain feedback on treatment and hospital services. The feedback is used to identify operational gaps and improve patient care. Health officials emphasised that SETU does not require expensive new infrastructure. The platform functions using smartphones, QR codes and the existing Closed User Group (CUG) communication network, making it a low-cost and easily scalable solution for statewide implementation, they said. Describing the initiative, officials said SETU is "not merely a digital application but a life-saving bridge connecting primary healthcare centres in remote areas with tertiary medical colleges," ensuring that specialist teams are ready before a patient arrives and significantly improving the chances of survival....