Lucknow: Emergency medical care is a key pillar of a strong healthcare system, and timely treatment can determine whether a patient lives or dies, deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak said on Sunday.Speaking at the international emergency medicine conference EMPARV-2026 at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI), Pathak said patients in critical conditions—including road accidents, heart attacks, strokes, sepsis, poisoning and severe injuries—need immediate intervention, rapid expert decision-making and access to advanced technology. “Every second counts in an emergency,” he said, calling for emergency medicine to be developed as an integrated life-saving system rather than being viewed only as a medical specialty.Pathak said EMPARV-2026 was creating a shared platform for doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, medical experts and young residents to exchange knowledge, refine skills and share innovations. He said the conference included 21 hands-on workshops, drew more than 1,000 delegates and featured around 180 national faculty members, along with experts from the US, UK, Australia, Singapore and the Middle East.Emphasising the needs of Uttar Pradesh’s large population and geography, Pathak said quality emergency services could not remain confined to major cities. He said the state govt was working to ensure that patients in villages, towns and urban centres receive timely and reliable emergency care.He outlined plans for an Uttar Pradesh Trauma and Emergency Network linking medical colleges, district hospitals, trauma centres, community health centres, ambulance services, specialists and digital referral systems to help patients reach the appropriate level of care within the “golden hour.” Expanding accessible, rapid and high-quality emergency and critical-care services, he said, remains a priority, alongside adopting advanced medical technologies and strengthening standards of clinical excellence.Those present included additional chief secretary (medical and health) Amit Kumar Ghosh, SGPGI director Prof Radha Krishna Dhiman, Dr Selvarajan KV, Prof Ashima Sharma, Dr Ranveer Tyagi, Prof RK Singh and organiser-chairman Dr Major Sanjay Singhal.
