Vellore CMC launches new trauma care facility

Chennai :A distinction it cannot be proud of, Tamil Nadu has the title of ‘the most number of road traffic accidents’ (14 per cent of all road accidents in India) to its name. Providing immediate care to these accident victims during the golden hour is very essential. However, as most hospitals are generally in the centre of cities, reaching them in time becomes difficult.

Recognising the need for the same, the Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, will be opening up a Trauma Care Centre - by 2019 - in Kannigapuram, around 10 kilometers on the Chennai highway, to ensure that the victims reach the centre and are provided the required care within the first one hour. The centre will be coming along with a 1500-bed super-specialty hospital.

The Casualty Department of the Hospital sees around 12 to 15 cases of road traffic accidents a day. As the hospital does not have the capacity to handle so many trauma cases - as it was not designed for the same – it hopes to prevent loss of life through the centre. “Since the highway has become so busy, the number of accident cases has gone up drastically. It is a recent phenomenon.

The cases include those of head on collisions as well,” said Dr Sunil Chandy, Director of the Hospital.

The centre will have a unit for trauma care with a separate pathway for ambulances. As CMC is the only hospital on the route from Kancheepuram to Hosur, accident victims are brought here. Even if there is an ambulance, the traffic serves as a nuisance. Every minute is precious for these victims. Sometimes, when the victims are brought here, they are half dead or beyond salvage, stated the director.

Welcoming the new initiative by the hospital, State Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan said, “The Chennai-Bengaluru stretch is a very accident prone one. Having such a facility on the highway will greatly upgrade the trauma care. Even if we reduce the accident deaths by 25 to 50 per cent, it will be a great boon in raising the level of trauma care which is available, considering the number of road accidents in the state.”