Rajasthan Rolls Out SETU Digital Medical Emergency Referral System
Rajasthan has implemented a digital emergency referral model designed to streamline critical patient care by providing tertiary hospitals with patient health data prior to their arrival. Known as the Simplified Emergency Transfer and Urgent Referral (SETU), the system connects rural health facilities directly to major urban medical institutions.
What Happened
Developed and tested at Rabindranath Tagore Medical College in Udaipur, the SETU system has already processed more than 3,510 emergency cases across 15 districts in Rajasthan. Principal Medical and Health Secretary Gayatri Rathore announced details of the rollout in Jaipur on August 1, 2026, highlighting Rajasthan as the first state in India to implement this digital referral model.
Under the system, when a physician at a primary health centre (PHC) or community health centre (CHC) refers a patient using the digital application, complete digital medical records, live GPS tracking, and an estimated arrival time are immediately transmitted to the destination hospital. Control rooms then alert relevant specialists across departments—such as trauma, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, and paediatrics—via a closed user group network while reserving intensive care unit or emergency beds.
Key Highlights
- SETU acts as a digital bridge linking primary and community health centres in rural areas with urban tertiary hospitals and medical colleges.
- The platform functions using standard smartphones, quick response (QR) codes, and a closed user group (CUG) network, requiring no major infrastructure spending.
- Receiving hospitals access patient histories, live GPS tracking, and estimated arrival times prior to the ambulance’s arrival.
- Specialists are notified in advance and emergency or ICU beds are reserved to begin treatment immediately upon arrival.
- Control room staff initiate follow-up calls to patients on the day after referral to collect feedback on medical treatment and hospital services.
- The system was prepared and tested at Rabindranath Tagore Medical College in Udaipur and has managed over 3,510 emergency cases across 15 districts.
Why This Matters
The SETU model addresses the issue of blind arrivals, where tertiary hospitals receive emergency transfers without prior notice or medical background. By delivering medical files and tracking data in advance, receiving facilities can organize medical teams and reserve critical beds before the patient arrives, allowing treatment to start immediately upon entry without heavy infrastructure costs.
What to Watch Next
The SETU digital network will continue its operational coverage across districts, with control rooms conducting daily follow-up calls to assess care quality and collect patient feedback on treatment and hospital services.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rajasthan’s SETU system?
SETU stands for Simplified Emergency Transfer and Urgent Referral. It is a digital referral platform that connects rural primary and community health centres in Rajasthan with urban medical colleges and tertiary hospitals to coordinate emergency patient care.
How does the SETU patient transfer process work?
When a doctor at a primary facility refers a patient through the digital application, the patient’s medical records, live GPS location, and estimated arrival time are sent to the target hospital. The control room alerts relevant specialists and reserves emergency or ICU beds prior to the ambulance arriving.
What technical infrastructure is required for SETU?
According to Principal Medical and Health Secretary Gayatri Rathore, the system relies entirely on smartphones, QR codes, and a closed user group network, eliminating the need for heavy investments in additional hardware.
Source: Based on reporting from The Hindu, published August 2, 2026.