New Delhi

Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan on Wednesday demanded dedicated emergency lanes on roads for ambulance movement, saying that in India, groceries reach doorsteps in under 15 minutes, pizzas in 30 minutes, but patients bleed to death due to the delay in reaching the hospital.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, Bachchan demanded that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health should also look into the issue of patient death due to the delay in reaching the hospital.

"In a country where groceries reach doorsteps in under 15 minutes, pizzas in 30 minutes via quick commerce platforms, patients bleed to death because ambulances get trapped in traffic, lacking dedicated emergency lanes, despite the Supreme Court's 2018 directive. No national data tracks these tragedies," Bachchan said.

"60 per cent of ambulances arrive late, with urban delays averaging 15 to 30 minutes due to an absence of green corridors and police escorts, missing the golden hour for 55 per cent of accident victims. No dedicated lanes on highways, despite the National Ambulance Code 2016. These critical failures need to be taken notice of and dealt with immediately," she stated.

She suggested an immediate nationwide mandate for dedicated emergency lanes, with AI traffic signals, prioritizing ambulances, 30-second green corridors, enforcing the Supreme Court's 2018 ambulance corridor directive via Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, penalties on violators, and a high-level probe into ambulance delay deaths.

BJP MP Rekha Sharma demanded a gender-sensitive mental health facility for traumatised women in the country.

She drew attention towards the severe shortage of accessible gender sensitive mental health support, particularly for survivors of violence, harassment and trauma.

While the Modi government's initiatives, such as Tele Manas and district mental health programmes, are commendable, some gaps persist, especially in rural, marginalised, and low-income communities, she said, adding that lack of awareness and scarcity of trained professionals prevent countless women from receiving timely care.

Survivors of domestic violence, cyber harassment, acid attacks, trafficking and workplace abuse frequently carry long-lasting psychological scars, she told the House.

The mental health system that should support them remains fragmented and under-resourced, she pointed out.

She urged the government to deploy dedicated women's mental health counsellors at centres, police stations, and hospitals, ensuring immediate and specialised assistance. Tele Manas outreach should be expanded and integrated with women's helpline, self-help groups, and Anganwari worker network, she said.

Mizo National Front MP K Vanlalvena demanded the central government's intervention in the issue of income tax officials harassing tribals of Mizoram.

He informed the House that tribals living in specified areas in Mizoram are exempt from Income Tax and should not be harassed by Income Tax officials.

BJP MP Laxmikant Bajpayee demanded the setting up of more benches of the high court in Uttar Pradesh, referring to the high pendency of cases in the courts.

Subhah Barala (BJP) demanded that the Central Pollution Control Board should carefully look into the issue of water pollution in the country from various sources, which is affecting the lives of people in the country.

Sumer Singh Solanki (BJP) asked for government intervention to deal with the high rate of accidents on National Highway Number 3, Sendhwa in Barwani district.

He pointed out incidents of road accidents in the Bijasan Ghat area, located on the border of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The MP demanded building a new road in the area to stop the high incidence of accidents in the area.

Manoj Jha (RJD) demanded uniform minimum wages for skilled workers in the country, saying that these are less than what workers of Bihar get in Tamil Nadu or Kerala.

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AAP MP Swati Maliwal highlighted the issue of sand mining in Punjab and demanded an inquiry into the issue, saying this caused man-made devastating floods in the state this year.

Amar Pal Maurya (BJP) demanded setting up an agricultural university in Pratapgarh district.