India top in road traffic deaths: Dr Amiteshwar Singh
Amritsar, January 8: To create awareness on ‘Rising trends of road accident & trauma services in North India” a team of doctors from LIVASA Hospital, Amritsar addressed the media person here today. Present on the occasion were: Dr Sukhpal Singh, consultant orthopedics & joint replacement, Dr Amiteshwar Singh consultant plastic surgery, Dr Amanjot Singh consultant neurosurgery, Dr Manish Gupta consultant critical care and Dr Prabhapreet Singh consultant emergency medicine from LIVASA Hospital,Amritsar.
Speaking on the occasion Dr Sukhpal Singh said that it is very unfortunate to note that in the last 12 years there has been a drop of 5% in road accidents globally, 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 minutes after any accident are most important. If the right patient reaches the right place at the right time, a lot of lives can be saved. He 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.
Dr Sukhpal also shared that 70% of lives in road accidents are lost due to over speeding.
Sharing his view on this occasion, Dr Amiteshwar Singh said that more 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 the global vehicular population and 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 Amiteshwar shared that at LIVASA Hospital Amritsar, our trauma team consists of orthopedic surgeon, thoracic surgeon, GI surgeon, plastic surgeon, neurosurgeon, anesthetist and ER physician and hospital has got 05 modular OTs, in house blood bank, in-house CT and tesla MRI scan to deals with any type of trauma injuries.
Dr Amanjot Singh Boparai 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 Amanjot also 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 %, he informed.
Dr Manish Gupta 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, LIVASA 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 08 districts of Himachal and the entire Jammu region for trauma services, said Dr Prabhapreet Singh.
Tips to prevent Accidents:
1. Keep a rein on speed
2. Obey traffic rules
3. Wear seat belts
4. Give preference to pedestrians
5. Read caution signs
6. Adopt anti-skid brake systems in the cars
7. Air bags are must
8. Reflectors to be used on the rear of the vehicle
9. Keep vehicle in good working condition
10. Roads should be in good condition with proper sign boards
11. Avoid drugs and alcohol while driving
