70 percent of lives in road accidents are lost due to over speeding; need to take trauma accidents seriously; senior docs
Kanwar Inder Singh/royalpatiala.in News/ December 25,2023
To create awareness a team of doctors from Ivy Hospital Mohali, a leading healthcare provider of the region today talked about ‘Rising Trends of Road Accident & Trauma Services in North India’ during a press conference at Chandigarh today.
Present on the occasion were; Dr Manuj Wadhwa Chairman & Executive Director Ivy Elite Institute of Orthopedics, Dr Bhanupartap Saluja, Director Orthopedics, Dr Vineet Saggar senior NeuroSurgeon, Dr Jaspreet Randhawa consultant Neuro Surgery and Chetan Goel, Head Emergency from Ivy Hospital Mohali.
Speaking on the occasion Dr Manuj Wadhwa said , “ It is very unfortunate to note that in the last 12 years there is a drop of 5% in road accidents globally and whereas it has increased by 15.3% in India. Road accidents contribute to 83 % of all traffic related deaths in India. People should know the importance of the ‘Golden Hour’ concept, which means the first 60 mins after any accident are most important. If right patient, reaches right place in right time lot of lives can be saved,”
Dr Manuj also shared that roads in Punjab are very fatal in terms of road accidents and there were 6122 road accidents & 4688 deaths in road accidents in Punjab in 2022.
He also shared that 70% of lives in road accidents are lost due to over speeding.
Dr Bhanupartap Saluja said,” More than 460 deaths a day are forcing India to take trauma accidents seriously. 460 deaths every day is equivalent to a Jumbo Jet Crash every day. India accounts for just 1% of global vehicular population but it has the highest number of accident related deaths across the globe.
He also said that most of the accidents apart from head injury, motorists also suffer thoracic and GI injuries as well, which are equally fatal, if not treated in a fully equipped Trauma center.
Dr Bhanu shared that at IVY Hospital Mohali, our Trauma Team consists of Orthopedic Surgeon, Thoracic Surgeon, GI surgeon, Plastic Surgeon, Neurosurgeon, Anesthetist and ER physician and hospital has got 08 Modular OTs, in house Bloodbank, inhouse CT and Tesla MRI scan to deals with any type of Trauma Injuries.
Dr Vineet Saggar said,” Over speeding and not wearing Seat Belts are Major cases of Head Injuries in Trauma cases in India.
In addition to these drunken driving, jumping red lights, distraction to drivers, non-adherence to driving lanes and overtaking from the wrong side are other reasons for road accidents in India.
Dr Chetan Goel shared that two-wheelers are one of the most unsafe modes of transport, the UN Motorcycle Helmet Study says, “Motorcyclists are 26 times more likely to die in a road crash than drivers of passenger cars. Wearing an appropriate helmet improves their chances of survival by 42% and reduces the risk of brain injury by 74 %.”
Sharing his views Dr Jaspreet Randhawa said, “India is amongst the World Leaders in Road Traffic deaths”. In India, over 78% of vehicles on the road are two-wheelers and they account for about 29 % of road accidents. Brain is one of the most sensitive organs of our body, which comes under impact in any road accident. Wearing a good helmet and tying it properly can prevent loss of lives in 90 percent of accident cases.”
Dr Manuj Wadhwa informed that with 5 hospitals, 750 beds, 280 ICU beds and 20 OTS, Ivy Hospital is the biggest Trauma Service provider in the entire Punjab. With our 6 ACLS Ambulances based out of different drainage areas, we cater to 16 districts of Punjab and 6 districts of Haryana for trauma services.
Tips to prevent Accidents:
- As they say speed thrills and also kills. Keep a rein on your speed,
- Obey traffic rules.
- Wear seat belts.
- Pedestrians and children come first –Preference is to be given to pedestrians and children crossing the road.
- Read caution signs:.
- Adopt anti-skid brake systems in the cars
- Airbags in vehicles are a must.
- Reflectors to be used on the rear of the vehicle.
- Vehicle must be in good working condition- there should be no compromise on the quality of brakes and tyres.
- Roads should be in good condition with proper sign boards.
- Avoid drugs and alcohol while driving.
Some Important Facts:
Ø In last 12 yrs globally there is a drop of 5 % in road accidents whereas it has increased by 15.3 % in India – Dr Manuj Wadhwa
Ø 460 deaths a day are forcing India take trauma accidents seriously – Dr Bhanupratap Saluja
Ø In India more than 1.60 Lac people are killed every Year in Traffic accidents – Dr Vineet Saggar
Ø Over speeding and not wearing Seat Belts are Major cases of Head Injuries in Trauma cases in India – Dr Vineet Saggar
Ø India is amongst the World Leader in Road Traffic deaths – Dr Jaspreet Randhawa
Ø Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death of children and young adults aged 5-29 years worldwide – Dr Chetan Goel
