'Comprehensive approach to emergency trauma care needed'

Kolkata, June 25 (IANS) With trauma-related deaths occurring in India every 1.9 minutes, a healthcare entrepreneur Wednesday stressed upon the necessity of comprehensive and integrated trauma care units to tackle emergencies.

While motor vehicle crashes account for the majority of all trauma-related injuries and deaths in India (22.8 percent), injuries related to suicidal and homicidal incidents are also prominent.

"A few minutes can mean the difference between life and death when it comes to trauma care. This first hour of definitive medical care is called the golden hour which determines the outcome.

"Therefore, emergency interventions have a significant impact," said S. K. Roy, chairman of Peerless Hospital.

The Peerless Institute of Emergency Medicine and Trauma Care was launched here during the day.

The newly-inaugurated unit provides a four-tiered emergency service right from initial field care to recovery.

In addition, the hospital is developing human resource in trauma care through post-graduate course in emergency medicine in collaboration with the George Washington University, US.

"Doctors will therefore be motivated to handle these cases and find meaning in the way they administer emergency care," said Dilip Samadar, the hospital's managing director.

India loses approximately 2-2.5 percent of its GDP to only road traffic injuries.

Annually, more than 330,000 injuries occur in India. Half of these require medical treatment while as many as 80,000 lives are lost.