70% deaths in road accidents in country are due to head injury.
Neurological Society of India expresses concern at the International Conference.
Mumbai, December 4 :
In the entire country at present around 1600 army personnel are losing their lives in the road accidents. This data is equivalent to around two battalions of army. The Indian army to reduce accidents, from time to time make the army drivers and also the general public aware about the traffic rules through traffic awareness campaign. Col. Shriniwas said this in a special lecture delivered on ‘Head injury Road Safety Public Awareness’ at the international conference organised by Neurological Society of India at a hotel in Pavai in Mumbai on Wednesday.
On this occasion, he said that special campaign has been launched in the entire country especially in remote areas to aware drivers to drive carefully driving. Road safety and traffic programmes were organised in schools at Rajauri, Budher, Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir, in which children and two-wheeler drivers were aware about the utility of helmet.
There is one neurosurgeon on population of 40 lakh
Asian Australian Neurotrauma Society chairman and Sawai Man Singh Hospital Jaipur senior professor Dr VIrendra D Sinha said, “Injuries and deaths in road accidents have very scary effect on people, communities and countries.” He said in India, the main reason of deaths is head injuries. One in six persons dies due to head injury in accidents in India, whereas in America it is one in 200. There is a big danger of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in head injury. After the accident, during the golden hours if TBI is not treated immediately then death is but obvious, he added.
Expressing concern over the shortage of neurosurgeons in treating head injury, Dr Sinha said in India there are only around 3000 neurosurgeons, while the population of the country is 132 crore and in such situation there is only one neurosurgeon on the population of around 40 lakh.
300 neurosurgeons in Maharashtra
Neurosurgeon Dr Suresh Sankhla of Mumbai said that there are around 300 neurosurgeons in Maharashtra and in Mumbai alone there are around 150 neurosurgeons in government and private medical colleges and hospitals. More than 50 million people face non-serious injuries in road accidents across the world, whereas due to many injuries, they become disabled throughout the life.
Neurological Society of India (NSI) in-charge and neurosurgeon from Chennai Dr K Sridhar said, “If we speak about deaths due to head injuries then out of total accidents in 2018, 35.2% that is 1,64,313 accidents were of two-wheelers in which 31.4% that is 48,560 people died, whereas 1,53,585 people were injured. In these accidents, around 70% deaths are due to head injuries.
Dr Sridhar said that it is surprising that maximum deaths in road accidents are youth aged 18 to 34 years. In the total accidents in 2018, 48% that is 72,737 youth (18-35 years) had died, which is a serious subject of concern for India. Dr VD Sinha gave life demonstration of head protection using helmet.
1.51 million deaths per annum
The chief guest of the programme Rotary Club (district governor) Harjeet Singh Talwar said 1.51 million people die every year in road accidents in the country. In all the road accidents, more than half of unsafe road users that is pedestrians, cycle riders and motorcycle riders die. The low income and middle income countries have 60% of the vehicles compared to high income countries, but road accidents in these countries account for 93%. He said 3% of GDP is spent on road accidents in maximum countries.
singh said that according to Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, India is number one out of 199 countries in the case of road accidents in the year 2018. The road accidents have registered an increase of 0.46%. In 2018, in India 4,67,044 accidents took place in which 1,51,417 people died whereas 4.69.418 people were injured. He said in India daily 1280 accidents take place in which 415 people die that is every hour 17 people die in 53 accidents.
If accidents and deaths of Maharashtra and Rajasthan are looked then in 2018 in Maharashtra, 35,717 accidents took place in which 13,261 people died, while in Rajasthan 21,743 accidents took place in which 10320 people died. Pankhudi Gidwani, Rudali on behalf of Samooh and Savar (helmet) spoke about disturbed driving. Guest of Honour film actress Divya Jagdale called youth to remain alert in regard to road safety. In the end, people were informed about giving first aid to the injured immediately after the road accident through video. Bollywood actor & choreographer Vikas Saxena and RJ Devangana anchored the whole programme.
Prof. Virendra Deo Sinha
Senior Professor
Department of Neurosurgery
S.M.S. Medical College, Jaipur (INDIA)
Chairman – AASNS Neurotrauma Committee
Ex President – Neurotrauma Society of India
Co – Ordinator of Road Safty Programme
Gurjant Singh Dhaliwal, Jaipur.