Rising road fatalities: 108 Ambulances keep pace

Rising road fatalities: 108 Ambulances keep pace

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jan 11, 2019: Though the number of accidents from 2011 to 2015 had remained the same (around 44,000 in the state), the number of deaths had increased from 8,971 in 2011 to 10,856 in 2015, reveals a report from Transport department’s Road Safety Cell. 

 

“Several accidents cause  victims to meet with an untimely death as they do not receive first aid within the golden hour,” Emergency Medical Specialist, KMC hospitals, Dr Jeedu Radhakrishnan emphasised. He highlighted the importance of ambulances and the role they play in saving lives.

Not known to many, the ambulance services in DK district was introduced in the early 1940s. In 1938, Mumbai (then Bombay) based philanthropist Kudpi Bhujanga Rao, in memory of his father, donated the first ambulance to district Wenlock hospital. Presently, there are about 50 ambulances owned by private operators.

Ten Years :  The ‘108’ emergency response services were introduced in DK on November 8, 2008. The service had completed a decade. “At present 28, 108 ambulances and two bike ambulances (in Mangaluru and Ullal) are operating in the district,” District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Ramakrishna Rao stated.

“Today’s ambulances have advanced life support systems like ventilators and live streaming to ensure that no time is lost in treating trauma cases within the golden hour,” Dr Jeedu Radhakrishnan added.

KMC hospitals Regional Chief Operating Officer (COO) Saghir Siddiqui said KMC Hospital had launched the ‘You can save a life anywhere’ campaign.

Ambulance-service (108) operates across 4,559 sq km area of DK. In the last 10 years, (108)-ambulance-services responded to 1,74,832 police, fire and medical emergencies.

Medical emergencies (including pregnancy) attended to were 26,874. Trauma (accident) cases attended to were 35,266. “If not for these ambulances, fatal accidents would have been more,” it was conveyed.