HYDERABAD: The importance of the golden hour while treating trauma patients is well-known -- it is a make-or-break situation as the patient’s life depends on what and how paramedics do in these crucial 60 minutes from the time of the accident.
And, the trauma care centres (TCCs) along the Outer Ring Road (ORR) seem to be getting it right. The TCCs, set up two months ago at 10 interchange points along ORR, saved 88 precious lives between October 20 and December 10 last year.
Powered by advanced technologies and medical equipment, the paramedics at these centres provide effective pre-hospital emergency care to accident victims.
Officials of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and the Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited (HGCL) told The New Indian Express that saving the lives of citizens is important, for which the Telangana government set up the TCCs where road accident victims can be triaged and given emergency care.
With injury being a major cause of premature death and disabilities, promptly acting during the golden hour helped save many lives.
In many cases, prompt provision of emergency care and rapid movement of victims from the accident spot to the TCCs reduced the risk of short-term disabilities.
The TCCs have been delivering a continuum of pre-hospital acute care and rehabilitation services — right from the time of the injury, through shifting patients to an acute care facility and to rehabilitative care.
With the increasing number of vehicles on the ORR and speeding causing several accidents, the HGCL tied up with Apollo Hospitals to set up the TCCs to minimise the fatality rate. Apart from road accident victims, who generally suffer a head injury, chest/abdominal trauma, limb fractures/dislocations, multiple casualty incidents (disasters), cuts, wounds and abrasions, many patients are wheeled into the trauma centres for other medical emergencies too.
These include cardiac arrest, chest pain, shortness of breath, stroke, dizziness, sprains/strains, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dehydration and exhaustion.
For critical cases, Apollo Hospitals have put in place a telemedicine system wherein a video conference can be held between the trauma staff and senior doctors of the hospital. It also provides advanced life support (ALS) ambulances at each location, which covers 16 km (8 km on either side).
The officials said Rs 3.40 lakh per centre, a total of Rs 34 lakh for 10 centres, will be paid to the service provider every month for one year. Apart from GPS tracking and integration with the Highway Traffic Management System of the ORR, the HGCL has also appointed a person each to monitor the TCCs.
In the nick of time
The government set up 10 TCCs along ORR where victims can be triaged and treated
88 accident cases from October 20 to December 10, 2020
2 October 20-31, 46 November 1-30, 40 up to December 10
Referral hospitals: Apollo, Kamineni, Mallareddy, Bhaskar Medical College, Surya, Kakatiya and Osmania, among others
Accident-prone stretches
on ORR: Shamshabad, Patancheru, Shamirpet, TSPA, Tukkuguda, Pedda Amberpet
TCCs, ALS ambulances stationed at:
Financial District (Kokapet), Patancheru, Dundigal, Shamirpet, Ghatkesar, Pedda Amberpet, Bongulur, Tukkuguda, Shamshabad and TSPA interchanges