Need to take trauma accidents seriously; senior docs

Chandigarh, December 21, 2023: As against a drop of 5% in road accidents globally in the last 12 years, India has recorded a surge of 15.3%.  Road accidents contributed to 83 % of all traffic related deaths in India. People should know the importance of the ‘Golden Hour’ concept, which means the first 60 minutes after any accident are most important. If right patient, reaches right place in right time lot of lives can be saved.”

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Dr Manuj Wadhwa chairman & executive director of Ivy Elite Institute of Orthopedics said  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, senior ortho surgeon at Ivy Hospital 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.

Dr Vineet Saggar, senior neuro surgeon said,” Over speeding and not wearing seat belts are the 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 head emergency shared that two-wheelers are one of the most unsafe modes of transport. According to an UN Motorcycle Helmet Study, 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 %.”

Dr Jaspreet Randhawa consultant Neuro Surgery 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.”

With 5 hospitals, 750 beds, 280 ICU beds and 20 OTS, Ivy Group is the biggest Trauma Service provider in the entire Punjab. With its 6 ACLS Ambulances based out of different drainage areas, the Group caters to 16 districts of Punjab and 6 districts of Haryana for trauma services.