THOOTHUKUDI: District Collector Dr K Senthil Raj inaugurated a medical camp for vehicle drivers in the presence of Thoothukudi Corporation Mayor NP Jegan Periyasamy at the Regional Transport Office (RTO) on Wednesday.
Inaugurating the camp on the last day of the road safety week, the collector said drivers' health and safety are necessary, as they transport several hundred passengers every day. Accidents will not only hurt the drivers and passengers but also jeopardise other motorists as well, he added.
"Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has launched "The Innuyir Kappom" scheme by empanelling private hospitals exclusive for accident victims to avail of medical treatment within 48 hours from the time of the accident. Even though the medical infrastructure is abreast of the latest medical technologies, prevention is always better than cure. Advanced road facilities should not be taken for granted and every individual rider and driver should be extremely careful while driving," Senthil Raj said.
Stating that the number of lives lost on roads was 324 in 2020, 394 in 2021, and 373 in 2022, the collector stressed that fatal accidents can be avoided only if road safety measures are followed properly. "Everyone should be aware that life loss on roads is just killing self and it is unacceptable, while the deaths due to ageing and prolonged ill health are inevitable,' Senthil Raj said.
Jegan Periyasamy said the drivers hold the responsibility to ensure the safety of the passengers. So they should often keep their health in check, he noted.Additional SP Karthikeyan, Deputy Director (Health) Dr Porselvan, RTO Vinayagam, Empower India Director A Sankar and others participated.