In an emergency, the right hospital is the nearest one that can treat the problem, and the right first step is to call for help. In Nashik, dial 108 for an ambulance or 112 for the national emergency line. Medinova Super Speciality Hospital's emergency department at Mumbai Naka is open 24 hours, every day, with no appointment needed. The emergency number is +91 97632 00200, and the hospital is at Suyojit Center, opposite Mahamarg Bus Stand.
This guide covers what to do before you reach a hospital, what happens when you arrive, and what the family should bring. Keep it somewhere you can find it quickly.
When to go to emergency, not to a clinic
Go to emergency, or call an ambulance, for any of these:
Chest pain or pressure, especially with sweating, breathlessness or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back.
Difficulty breathing, or breathlessness while resting.
Fainting or loss of consciousness, even if the person wakes up quickly.
Bleeding that does not stop after ten minutes of firm pressure.
Stroke signs: a drooping face, a weak arm or leg, slurred speech or sudden loss of vision.
A road accident, a fall from height or a heavy blow, even if the person says they feel fine.
A head injury followed by vomiting, confusion, drowsiness or a severe headache.
A limb that looks bent the wrong way, or a fall after which the person cannot stand.
Burns larger than the palm of the hand, or any burn to the face, hands or genitals.
Swallowed poison, pesticide, an overdose of medicine or a snake bite.
A seizure lasting more than five minutes.
High fever with confusion, a stiff neck or a rash that does not fade when pressed, especially in a child or an older adult.
The first hour after a road accident
Doctors talk about the golden hour after a serious injury: the care a patient gets in the first hour has the biggest effect on survival and recovery. Much of what helps in that hour happens before the ambulance arrives.
Make the scene safe. Switch on hazard lights, stand off the road and keep onlookers back. Do not become a second casualty.
Call 108 or 112. Give the exact location, a landmark, how many people are hurt and whether anyone is unconscious or trapped.
Do not move the injured person unless they are in danger from fire, traffic or water. A neck or back injury can be made much worse by lifting or twisting.
Keep the head and neck still. If the person must be moved, keep the head, neck and back in a straight line.
Leave a two-wheeler helmet on unless it is stopping the person from breathing. Removing it carelessly can injure the neck.
Press firmly on bleeding with a clean cloth and keep pressing. Do not keep lifting the cloth to look.
Give nothing to eat or drink. The person may need an anaesthetic soon.
Keep them warm and talk to them. Note the time of the accident and anything they tell you, such as medicines or allergies.
If you help an accident victim, Indian law protects you. Under the Motor Vehicles Act, a Good Samaritan who helps or takes an injured person to hospital cannot be held liable, and does not have to give personal details or stay for questioning unless they choose to be a witness.
Stroke and heart attack: two emergencies where minutes count
For a suspected stroke, note the time the person was last seen normal and get them to a hospital with a CT scanner immediately. Clot-dissolving treatment usually has to start within 4.5 hours, and the scan has to come first. Do not give aspirin or water at home. Our guide to seeing a neurologist in Nashik explains the BE FAST warning signs.
For suspected heart pain, sit the person down, call for an ambulance and do not let them drive. If they have been prescribed a spray or tablet for angina, they can use it the way their own doctor taught them. Medinova's guide to choosing between a heart clinic and emergency covers the warning signs in more detail.
What happens when you arrive at Medinova emergency
Representative image.
Medinova's accident and trauma programme describes a four-step pathway:
1. Triage and primary survey: Checks and treats the immediate threats to life first: airway, breathing, circulation, consciousness. An IV line and monitoring are started.
2. Imaging and full examination: CT scan, X-ray or a bedside ultrasound (FAST scan) to look for internal bleeding, fractures or head injury, followed by a head-to-toe check once the patient is stable.
3. Definitive treatment: Setting and splinting fractures, wound repair, or surgery on the abdomen, brain or spine when needed, with ICU care for patients who need a ventilator, transfusion or close monitoring.
4. Recovery planning: Pain control, blood-clot prevention, physiotherapy and a fracture clinic or specialist follow-up date before discharge.
Specialists join as the injury needs them. Orthopaedic and trauma surgeons handle fractures and joint injuries. Head and spine injuries go to the brain and spine surgery team. Critically ill patients are looked after in the ICU by the internal medicine and critical care team, whose interests include ventilator management and poisoning. The doctors are listed under Related doctors at the end of this article.
Police paperwork comes after treatment
Road accidents, assaults, burns and poisonings are recorded as medico-legal cases (MLC). The Supreme Court has made it clear that treating the patient comes first and police formalities follow. Medinova's trauma team coordinates the medico-legal documentation with the police, so the family does not have to manage it before treatment starts.
What the family should do and bring
One adult relative who can give consent for procedures, and who knows the patient's medical history.
A list of every medicine the patient takes, especially blood thinners, diabetes medicines and blood pressure tablets. A photo of the strips works.
Allergies and major conditions: diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, pregnancy.
ID and the health insurance card or TPA details. Tell the desk early if the patient has insurance, so the cashless request can start while treatment is under way.
The times: when the accident happened or the symptoms began, and any fits or loss of consciousness.
Old reports: recent ECGs, scans or discharge summaries, if they are easy to find. Do not delay leaving to look for them.
Questions families ask
Should I go to the nearest hospital or to a bigger one?
For a life-threatening problem, go to the nearest hospital that has a 24-hour emergency department, a CT scanner and an ICU. Driving across the city for a particular name can cost time the patient does not have. If you are near Mumbai Naka, Dwarka, Renuka Nagar or the Mumbai-Agra highway, Medinova is close by.
Should I take the patient in my own car or wait for an ambulance?
Wait for the ambulance if the person is unconscious, badly injured, may have a neck or back injury, or is having chest pain or stroke signs. Ambulance teams can start treatment on the way. A car is reasonable only for a conscious, stable person with a minor injury, and the person who is ill should never drive themselves.
Will the hospital ask for money before treating?
Emergency treatment should not wait for paperwork or payment. Let one family member handle the forms and insurance at the desk while the team works on the patient.
Is a head injury serious if the person seems fine?
It can be. Bleeding inside the skull can take hours to show. Come to emergency after any head injury with loss of consciousness, vomiting, confusion, a severe headache, fluid from the nose or ears, or if the person takes blood thinners or is over 65.
Save these numbers
Save this card to your phone.
Ambulance: 108
National emergency line: 112
Medinova emergency (24 hours): +91 97632 00200, also on WhatsApp
Address: Suyojit Center, opposite Mahamarg Bus Stand, Mumbai Naka, Nashik 422001
This article is general first-aid and planning information, not medical advice for a specific patient. In an emergency, call for help first.
