Under the Clinical Establishments Act, a doctor should stabilize the condition of the patient before transferring him to the hospital.

Section 2(d) of the Act has defined “emergency medical condition” as a “medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) of such a nature that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in –

1. Placing the health of the individual or with respect to a pregnant women, the health of the woman or her unborn child, in serious jeopardy, or
2. Serious impairment to bodily functions, or
3. Serious dysfunction of any organ or part of a body.

2(o) “To stabilise (with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions)” means, with respect to an emergency medical condition specified in clause (d), to provide such medical treatment of the condition as may be necessary to assure, within reasonable medical probability, that no material deterioration of the condition is likely to result from or occur during the transfer of the individual from a clinical establishment.”