BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government has decided to implement a comprehensive trauma care initiative to reduce road accident deaths and associated injuries that have become a major public health concern in the State. As part of the initiative, it has been decided to set up a new standalone level-I Trauma Care Facility (TCF) with a capacity of 100 beds at Panikoili and another at Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar.
Seven more private hospitals, including one each in Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, will be empanelled to provide free treatment within 48 hours of accident. The hospitals that are likely to be empanelled include SUM, KIMS, Kalinga, Care and Hi-tech at Bhubaneswar, Medicover Hospitals at Visakhapatnam and Ramkrishna Care Hospitals at Raipur.
The government has also decided that the Free Treatment for Trauma Fund (FTTF) provided from the Road Safety Fund, which was initially managed by the Commerce and Transport department, will be handled by the Health and Family Welfare for better coordination with hospitals.
The decision for empanelling more hospitals was taken after Odisha recorded more than 25 per cent (pc) rise in road accident deaths during September-December period last year as compared to 2019 drawing ire of the Supreme Court Committee (SCC) on Road Safety.
Additional Chief Secretary of Health department PK Mohapatra said since timely emergency medical care will help reduce the accident deaths and injury outcomes, more hospitals will be empanelled to provide treatment during the golden hour.
“More funds will be allocated in the State budget to facilitate prompt treatment and assist in the management of trauma victims. Initially, a proposal for an amount of `195 crore has been sent to the Expenditure Finance Committee for approval,” he said.
In September 2019, the government had empanelled three level-I trauma care facilities in private setups on a pilot basis and allotted ` six crore for treatment of trauma victims.
While so far 1,716 trauma patients have been treated successfully in Apollo Hospitals and AMRI Hospitals at Bhubaneswar and Ashwini Hospital at Cuttack, only seven deaths were reported. The facility will be extended to Berhampur, Rourkela and Sambalpur soon.
As directed by the SCC, the government had notified to set up 33 TCFs, of which three are level-I type, four are level-II and the rest are level-III. Around `133 crore was allocated. So far, eight TCFs have been built and the department is in process for recruitment of health professionals to make the facilities functional at the earliest.
New facilities
A 100-bed level-I Trauma Care Facility at Panikoili
Another TCF at Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar
SUM, KIMS, Kalinga, Care and Hi-tech at Bhubaneswar and one each in AP and C’garh to be empanelled