Aid during ‘Golden Hour’ can prevent death

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), motor vehicle crashes kill about 1.3 million people every year. That is set to rise to 2 million by 2020, unless new safety measures are taken, making road traffic injuries the third largest cause of death and disability.

“Road safety is a very important development challenge. It is one that is often overlooked and which disproportionately impacts the society at all levels. If we are able to reduce the significant social impact of road traffic fatalities and injuries, then everyone must take them much more seriously and take preventive efforts accordingly,” says Venkateshwarlu, Joint Commissioner, legal, RTA.

One of the most tragic deaths of in recent years was that of Lady Diana. Doctors say that had she been rushed to the hospital in the Golden Hour, she would have survived.

"I think she could have been saved because, according to the report which I have seen, she died of internal bleeding. The injury which caused the bleeding was to a [pulmonary] vein which doesn't bleed particularly quickly. In fact, it bleeds rather slowly. What I want to say here is that, if Princess Diana had been brought to hospital within 10 minutes of the accident - something which should easily have been possible - and, once there, had been cared for properly, she could have survived," said heart surgeon Dr Christiaan Barnard.

“With intense checking, physical ability of drivers, including buses, tempos and auto underway, traffic police officials are also interacting with road users seeking their active cooperation to make roads more safe and sound, especially the highways,” says Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma.

Many victims of accidents on highways succumb to their injuries as prompt action is not taken immediately following the accident.

“As per the guidelines of the National Highway Authority of India, it is mandatory to set up trauma centres every 100 kilometres,” says Ch Srinivas, ACP (traffic), Shamshabad.

In 2012, the central government decided to address this growing problem by setting up 400 trauma care centres on important national highways by interlinking facilities.

“This is the first time that a national initiative is being undertaken to help accident victims,” says Sudhir, in-charge of national highways. Ambulances will be deployed in three shifts of eight hours each on all major highways.

“Most patients survive if got to hospital within an hour of accident,” says Dr Arshad, physician at Apollo. This hour is known as the ‘Golden Hour’ and the chance of survival for a level one trauma patient decreases significantly after an hour has passed.