Mir Farhat
Srinagar, Jan 29: The Trauma Centres along the National Highway aimed at saving the lives of accident victims are yet to come up and death in the accident go unabated.
The State had promised to construct Trauma Centres on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway to prevent deaths in road mishaps but, little has been done in these years.
Twelve Trauma Centres across the State were recommended by a number of Government advisory committees after casualties in road accidents increased on the Highways.
The absence of critical care ambulances and Trauma Centres on the Highway were believed to cause deaths in the mishaps. The victims mostly die due to absence of timely treatment.
With the assistance of the Centre Government, Trauma Centres at Leh, Kargil, Gund, Qazigund, Lowermunda, Bijbehara, Lawaypora, Rafiabad and Anantnag were to be constructed in Kashmir valley to minimize the death rate.
The centers are to be equipped with modern machinery and human resource to treat people injured in road accidents. These Trauma Centres were recommended to be open round-the-clock, throughout the year to handle the injured victim of trauma after road accidents.
“Poor road networking and pre-hospital management often results in deaths and leaves many maimed. If there are Trauma Centres on road heads leading to tertiary health institution many lives could be saved,” said Mudassir Ahmad, a student.
Director Health Services, Kashmir, Dr Saleem ur Rehman said that the Centre released funds for nine trauma centers.
“Some centres were constructed a new, and some were upgraded to cater to the road accidents on the Highway,” he said. “So far, five centers at Qazigund, Kangan, Gund, Kargil and Leh have been completed and they are all functional.”
The Government started construction of 25-bed trauma hospital at Pattan in Baramulla which was started in 2005. But nine years after the building of the hospital has not been completed. However, Dr Saleem said that the hospital will be made functional “very soon”.
He said that the Health Department has send proposal for constructing Trauma Centres at some other places like at Awantipora. “Our focus is the District Hospital Anantnag as it is on the Highway,” he said.
Health experts said that accident victims need immediate medical response and lack of highly equipped trauma centers maximizes chances of death.
Dr Firdous Ahmad Dar said well established trauma care facilities are lacking in the state.
“Accident trauma needs urgent response. In situations like accidents, management of time is very crucial. Any lapse to rush accident cases to a health center results in death. Time makes the difference between life and death,” Dr Firdous said.
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