The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Saving lives on busy highways

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 17, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Saving lives on busy highways

Special Correspondent

CTC has ambulances on the road to Mysore and Mangalore

Bangalore: More than 14 per cent of vehicles on the Bangalore-Mangalore highway run the risk of an accident, especially on the stretch up to Hassan.

The highway pre-hospital rescue programme of the Comprehensive Trauma Consortium (CTC) in Bangalore has helped take nearly 10,000 injured in road accidents to the nearest hospital since 1997, when it began operations in the city and on highways around. In a year from January 2005, it rescued 452 accidents victims on the Bangalore-Mysore highway.

The Mangalore highway is considered vulnerable by the consortium because of the high traffic-density and the hilly terrain with hairpin bends and steep gradient on the Sakleshpur-Mangalore stretch. Ambulances are stationed every 40 km — at Nelamangala, Kunigal, Pudur Cross, Hiresave, Channarayapatna, Hassan, Sakleshpur and Mangalore city. They are fitted with wireless equipment and have first-aid kits, spinal boards for those with back injuries, splints, cervical collars, suction apparatus and external defibrillators to deal with cardiac emergencies. Paramedics on these ambulances are trained to provide initial treatment during the "golden hour" after an accident. Treatment at this time helps save lives and prevents injuries getting complicated, trauma specialists say.

In view of the Mahamastakabhisheka celebrations, the consortium has stationed four ambulances around Shravanabelagola. At other times too, 18 dedicated ambulances are stationed at strategic locations in Dakshina Kannada district, especially along the routes to pilgrim centres in the region. The consortium's ambulances and medical personnel have saved over 500 lives on the Bangalore-Mysore highway since services were started there in October 2004.

The CTC has accredited six hospitals along the Bangalore-Mysore Highway.

The services of the CTC and its ambulances can be had by calling 080-1062 or 080-25202222. A dedicated control room, a wireless base station, a digital map of the highways and a global positioning system to locate the ambulance closest to the scene of an accident or emergency spot enhance the services.

The consortium has tied up with Deccan Aviation for air ambulance services.

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