The government is working towards developing a pan-India trauma care network. (Representational Image)
The government is working towards developing a "pan-India trauma care network" to limit the number of preventable deaths in road accidents by having, among other things, a designated trauma care facility at every 100-km on the national highways.
"The Health Ministry is implementing a scheme, 'Capacity Building for Developing Trauma Care Facilities in Government Hospitals on National Highways' since the 11th Plan with the objective of bringing down preventable deaths because of road accident to 10 per cent," Health Minister JP Nadda said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
With that end in view, the goal, the minister said, is to develop "a pan-India trauma care network in which no trauma victim has to be transported for more than 50-km and a designated trauma care facility is available at every 100-km on the national highways".
As per data shared by the minister, 1,37,572 people were killed in road accidents in 2013. A total of 4,86,476 road mishaps took place that year in which 4,94,893 persons were also injured.
Mr Nadda said that in the 11th Five Year Plan, 140 locations along the Golden Quadrilateral Corridor, North-South and East-West Corridor were identified for development of trauma care facilities for accident victims.
"Of these centres, 118 hospitals and medical colleges were identified under the scheme for capacity building for developing trauma care facilities in government hospitals on national highways and 20 hospitals and medical colleges under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
"The remaining two hospitals identified are to be developed from their own funding," Mr Nadda said.
The minister said that the government has taken various steps to ensure proper functioning of the identified trauma centres, which include adoption of 1033 as National Highways Distress Call Number by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) and establishment of National Programme Management Unit at the central level, amongst others.
The government has also completed the appointment of state nodal officer for the scheme while constitution of a Core Committee between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and MORTH for better coordination and implementation of the scheme has also been done, he added.