Date:20/11/2006 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/11/20/stories/2006112001520200.htm

Back Medical experts seek 3-digit emergency care help line number

Our Bureau

Ambulance services norms sought to be finalised

"The Capital is believed to have only a fourth of what is required to meet emergencies such as accidents or even pandemics"

New Delhi , Nov. 19

Medical experts have urged the Government to allot a common three-digit help line number for emergency care. It is believed that about 140 people die per 10,000 vehicles from road accidents and 30 per cent of these lives can be saved with emergency medical care, say experts. Pre-hospital treatment not only reduces trauma but eases the burden on hospitals and reduces treatment expenses incurred by the patient. But most importantly it can save precious lives, the experts pointed out.

Emergency Care

However, the Government is yet to formally recognise emergency medical care as a speciality. "There is just a single seat for such discipline in residency programmes, in just one medical school in the country," says Mr Harpal Singh, Chairman, Fortis Healthcare Systems, addressing an International conference on Emergency Medicine and Disaster Preparedness here.

"The Capital is believed to have only a fourth of what is required to meet such emergencies, such as accidents or even pandemics; one can then imagine what the situation must be like in semi rural and rural areas," said Mr Singh.

Ill Equipped

The group has also been lobbying with the Government to introduce emergency medical care as a postgraduate specialisation and to finalise norms for ambulance services, which are not only believed to be too few to meet the needs of the country's large population, but are also severely ill equipped. Dr Asif Ali, a medical specialist at Fortis, suggested that a National Disaster Management blueprint be drafted and a pool of medical experts, paramedics and volunteers be created in a public-private initiative.

"Fortis hospital would be tying up with the Government and other bodies to solve what is essentially a large looming crisis in the area of emergency medicine," added Mr Shivinder Singh, MD, Fortis.