Highway trauma care project runs into roadblock

“Our job is to provide fully equipped ambulances for the scheme and we are ready to do so. In fact, the ministry has written to the Health ministry on the issue repeatedly, asking them how many ambulances they want so we can place orders but there has been no response. While they are keen on getting EMRI for the paramedical services and for establishing the trauma care call centre across all national highways, our view is that we should involve multiple agencies or NGOs instead of one. That is where the whole issue is stuck,” says a senior official from the Road Transport ministry.

Union Health ministry officials, on the other hand, say the selection of EMRI was a joint decision with the Road Transport ministry. “The organisation had made presentations, was short listed and chosen jointly by both the ministries,” said a senior official in the Health ministry.

The ministry’s officials are of the view that EMRI is the best bet as it has the “most successful trauma care service” in Andhra Pradesh. They also alleged that several influential private organisations have been lobbying with the highway ministry, “which is why they are not so keen on going with EMRI”.

“It’s a joint scheme that needs a consensus. The blame game will not take us anywhere,” said the official.

EMRI’s name had come up when the matter was taken up with the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). The Health ministry had then talked of EMRI’s trauma care service in Andhra Pradesh and said some other states were also planning to implement it. The ministry also seems to have got an estimation done for a national emergency medical service and says such public-private-partnership based programmes would be launched in partnership with “experienced organisations like EMRI”.

EMRI describes itself as a ‘not-for profit’ institute and a nodal agency for comprehensive emergency management services. The agency was set up by Satyam Computers and has the backing of several prominent personalities. It runs a toll-free trauma care service on the number 108. Incidentally, the Health ministry has also been demanding that 108 be made the All India toll free trauma care number instead of the 1073 that the telecom department has proposed.

The project

• The scheme has been proposed as over a lakh road crash deaths are reported annually in India. About 35 per cent of the victims die because medical aid does not reach them within the critical ‘golden hour’ of the accident.

• The idea is to create trauma care facilities along nearly 13,000 km of national highways, starting with Golden Quadrilateral and the North South East West corridor.

• While the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways will provide ambulances every 50 km with trained manpower, the Ministry of Health will be the nodal agency implementing the scheme.

• Some 140 health intuitions along these highways will be upgraded at the cost of Rs 732 crore under the 11th plan.

• A toll-free all-India trauma care help line will be instituted.