Rajasthan launches SETU: Digital emergency referral system to save critical hours in patient care
Rajasthan has become the first State in India to implement a fully digital medical emergency referral system, named the Simplified Emergency Transfer and Urgent Referral (SETU). The initiative, already tested at Rabindranath Tagore Medical College in Udaipur, aims to eliminate the problem of “blind arrivals” at hospitals by ensuring that a patient’s medical history and live location reach the receiving tertiary hospital before the ambulance does.
According to the State’s Principal Medical and Health Secretary, Gayatri Rathore, the system creates a robust digital bridge between primary health centres (PHCs) and community health centres (CHCs) in remote rural areas and the medical colleges and tertiary hospitals in cities. This allows doctors at the receiving end to prepare for treatment well in advance, turning the critical initial minutes after arrival into a planned, life-saving response.
The SETU system operates using only smartphones, QR codes, and a closed user group (CUG) network. Ms. Rathore highlighted that this approach avoids heavy investments in additional infrastructure, making it a cost-effective model for emergency care. When a physician at a PHC refers a patient through the digital app, the complete digital data, estimated time of arrival, and live GPS tracking are instantly transmitted to the tertiary hospital’s control room.
Once the information is received, the control room alerts super-specialists in the relevant departments—such as trauma, surgical, obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics—through the CUG network. In parallel, intensive care unit (ICU) or emergency beds are reserved. By the time the ambulance arrives, a fully prepared medical team is ready to begin treatment from “minute zero,” as Ms. Rathore described it.
The system has already handled more than 3,510 emergency cases across 15 districts in the State, demonstrating its practical utility and scalability. The initiative is particularly significant for rural areas, where delays in transferring critically ill patients to better-equipped hospitals often prove fatal. With SETU, the gap between primary care and tertiary care is being bridged digitally, ensuring that life-saving decisions are not delayed by paperwork or lack of coordination.
Another feature of the SETU model is its patient-centric follow-up mechanism. Every patient referred through the system receives a call from the control room on the following day. This call is aimed at obtaining feedback on the treatment received and the quality of hospital services, thereby creating a loop of accountability and continuous improvement.
Health experts have welcomed the initiative, noting that while telemedicine and digital health records have been expanding across India, the real-time transfer of emergency patient data linked to hospital preparedness is a pioneering step. The system does not require sophisticated gadgets or high-bandwidth internet, which makes it feasible even in areas with limited connectivity.
The Rajasthan government’s move aligns with the broader national push toward digital health, as envisioned under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. By demonstrating a low-cost, high-impact model, SETU could serve as a template for other States seeking to improve emergency care outcomes without massive budgetary outlays.
As the system expands to cover all districts, the focus will be on training healthcare workers at PHCs and CHCs to use the app effectively. The success of SETU will depend not only on technology but also on the consistency of its implementation across a large and diverse State like Rajasthan.
With its innovative use of existing tools and a clear focus on saving lives during the golden hour, SETU represents a meaningful step forward in India’s public healthcare architecture. The model shows how thoughtful digital integration can bring high-quality emergency care closer to the rural poor.
