Jaipur: A lapse in emergency preparedness at the Jaipur bench of Rajasthan high court surfaced Thursday after a woman advocate collapsed on the premises and the standby ambulance was found unmanned, low on fuel, and without an accessible driver. With the advocate unconscious and minutes slipping away, a fellow lawyer drove the ambulance himself to SMS Hospital, triggering outrage across the legal fraternity.The advocate, Priya Prakash, had met with a road accident on Monday morning while commuting to the high court on her scooter. Despite a leg injury, she reached the court and reported to the on-campus dispensary around 10.45 am. During her medical examination, she fainted due to severe pain. Doctors advised that she be shifted immediately to SMS Hospital.What should have been a routine transfer turned into a scramble. The ambulance stationed on the high court premises had no driver, and repeated attempts to contact him failed because his mobile phone was switched off.As Prakash remained unconscious, advocate Ravindra Singh Shekhawat took charge. “Time was of essence, so I took the keys from the dispensary and drove the ambulance myself,” Shekhawat said.The scene drew attention at the hospital. “Even the staff at SMS Hospital were shocked to see a lawyer driving the ambulance,” he said, adding that doctors later told them any further delay could have proved fatal.Prakash underwent an X-ray and was given intravenous injections and first aid. Her condition stabilised.President of Rajasthan High Court Bar Association, Rajeev Sogarwal, said, “An ambulance parked on court premises during working hours must be fully functional. The absence of the driver at such a crucial moment is alarming. The Bar Association will take up the matter with the authorities concerned.”Ambulance driver Arun Chauhan denied negligence, saying he had stepped out briefly to get his malfunctioning mobile phone repaired. “I was away for around 10 minutes. When I returned, the ambulance was gone,” he said. National Health Mission (NHM), on the other hand, launched an investigation into the matter.EMRI Green Health Services (EMRI-GHS), the private firm that operates the govt’s 108 ambulance service, told TOI strict action will be initiated against the driver,
