Bhubaneswar: In a concerted effort to reduce road accident fatalities, the Transport Department, Government of Odisha, convened a stakeholders’ meeting to discuss strategies for strengthening emergency trauma care.
Transport Department Principal Secretary Usha Padhee chaired the meeting, emphasizing the need for a multi-faceted approach to address this critical issue. During the meeting, she highlighted the importance of timely and effective trauma care in saving lives. She emphasized the need for:
Upgrading Existing Trauma Care Facilities: Enhancing current facilities with advanced life-support systems and specialized equipment.
Increasing the Number of Trauma Care Centers: Establishing more centers, particularly in accident-prone areas, to ensure timely access to medical care.
Specialized Training for Medical Personnel: Providing training in trauma care, emergency medical services, and pre-hospital care to ensure that medical personnel are equipped to handle emergency situations effectively.
Improving Emergency Response Systems: Enhancing emergency notification systems, rapid response times, and ambulance services to ensure timely and effective treatment.
Collaboration and Coordination: Fostering cooperation between government agencies, medical institutions, and emergency services to ensure a seamless response to road accidents.
On the other hand, Prof. Venkatesh Balasubramaniam, Chief Advisor of the Centre of Excellence for Road Safety, IIT Madras, presented a comprehensive plan for strengthening emergency trauma care. His presentation highlighted the need for a structured approach to trauma care, including:
Pre-Hospital Care: Efficient emergency medical services (EMS) and ambulance facilities.
In-Hospital Care: Specialized trauma care facilities with advanced life-support systems.
Post-Hospital Care: Rehabilitation services and follow-up care to ensure complete recovery.
Other dignitaries who attended the meeting included Health Secretary M Aswathy, Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur, State Nodal Officer Gangadhar Sahoo, Additional Transport Commissioner Lal Mohan Sethi, Indramani Nayak, Dipti Ranjan Patra, and officials from the health and transport departments.
