The hilly National Highway (NH-1A) that connects the State with Punjab is prone to frequent road accidents ending up in grievous fatalities. This is also true of the arteries of the National Highway just because the mountainous topography of the entire region. Tragic demise of valuable lives in these motor accidents is irreparable loss to the country. Whenever an accident happens and fatalities are reported, it brings pain to the entire state. Compensation is paid to the victims or to their next of kin but compensation does not bring back the departed bread earner. In many cases, the tragedy is unparalleled if the victim is the only bread-earner in the family.
Traffic Department and other State organizations closely connected with the road accidents and their impact are regularly in consultation with experts and authorities endlessly debating how these accidents can be averted or maximally reduced and lives saved. A plethora of suggestions are made by a wide-range of media and social activists, which authorities take into account and if found feasible are translated into practice. This notwithstanding, accidents continue to happen and precious lives continue to be lost. There are numerous factors that interplay in the matter of meeting this challenge.
Among many preventive measures adopted by the authorities, one is the proposal of establishing Trauma Centres along the National Highway. It was long back in 2008-9 that the idea of establishing Trauma Centres was mooted. In February last, the Governor had desired that keeping the urgency of the matter in view, fully equipped trauma centres are opened immediately and made functional.In the year 2008-9,the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had sanctioned ten Trauma Centres for the State, six for Kashmir and four for Jammu region. The four Trauma Centres sanctioned for Jammu province were Mahanpur in Kathua, Udhampur District Hospital, Ramban District Hospital and Kashtwar.
The purpose of setting up Trauma Centres was essentially to provide emergency medical succour to the victims of motor accident so that as many as possible traumatized lives are saved by providing medical aid.A trauma centre makes sense only whenprovided with necessary equipment and medical staff. Equipment likes CT scan machine, X-Rey machine, laboratory, surgical instruments etc. are a must and so is a specialized surgeon, physician and a neurologist. They also need a minimum of paramedical staff by way of support structure. How can one imagine that a Trauma Centre will function without these pre-requisites?
A look at the Trauma Centres established at above mentioned places will show that none of these is provided with basic requirements plus the most essential component of trained and qualified medical staff. Although Mahanpur Kathua Trauma Centre is raised to Level III and Udhampur and Ramban to Level II, none is functional in real sense of the term. As regards Doda, it is yet to take any shape. The reason for these centres remaining paralyzed is firstly the apathetic attitude of the authorities who are taking it non-serious, and secondly no accountability and no responsibility syndrome prevailing in the matter. Some doctors were posted to Mahanpur Trauma Centre but they went on unauthorized leave and never showed themselves again. Thus the game is back to square one. The injured have to be referred to the GMC Jammu as usual and the time consumed between the accident and bringing the victims to the GMC Jammu being the crucial time for the patient decides his or her fate.
In view of these circumstances, people in the entire area lying alongside the NH1 find no relief or consolation in the mere announcement that Trauma Centers have been established and these were functional. The Governor, naturally will not feel happy with this situation. He had issued instructions a year ago to equip these Trauma Centres with all necessary equipment and staff. We, therefore, hope that the Governor will take full notice of this situation and ask the concerned authorities the reason why these centres have not become functional. At the same time we hope that he will see to it that all the sanctioned Trauma Centres in the State become functional as early as possible.
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