The first hour after an accident is called the golden hour because doctors believe that more than half of all deaths on roads can be prevented if the victims are rushed to a hospital within 60 minutes. However,only 20 per cent of accident victims in India are provided medical care in the first hour. A huge chunk of the rest succumbs to injuries. Well-intentioned bystanders unaware of the basics of first-aid often cause more damage to the injured,Dr Sanjay Chaturvedi,orthopaedic surgeon and organizing secretary of the 58th annual conference of Indian Orthopaedic Association to be held from December 3 -8 at Agra said. In 2011,there were 4.98 lakh road accidents in India which killed 1.42 lakh people and injured 5 lakh more. These numbers translate into a road accident every minute and one road accident death every four minutes. The situation is actually worse since many accidents never get reported. As the number of vehicles goes up on the roads,the fatalities also increase with each passing year,said Chaturvedi. Injuries in road accidents are often severe. In head-on collisions,the initial impact point is often the lower parts of the body,resulting in fracture or dislocation of ankles,knees,hips and thigh bones. A sideways impact usually involves damage to the upper parts of the body,including injuries to the chest,diaphragm,abdominal organs and pelvis. Though the use of crash protection devices such as helmets,seat belts and air bags has increased over the years,injuries due to road traffic-related trauma are worsening each year,Chaturvedi said. Even though regulations now do not require hospitals or the police to record the details of the person accompanying the injured,earlier forms still continue in circulation without any change. We have to publicise this fact to encourage more people to get involved in saving accident victims, he said. India requires improved roads,safer and better vehicles,strict implementation of traffic rules,especially for drunken driving,wearing helmets and talking on the mobile phone while driving,and prompt medical care for the victims,Chaturvedi said.
