Bhubaneswar: Rakesh (35) was bleeding on the national highway close to 2 am in the midnight. Though many vehicles were passing by, none stopped to offer him lift to the hospital. With much difficulty, he picked up his mobile phone to call his sister who was almost 23 kilometres away from him. She reached the spot albeit after a delay of an hour. The ambulance she had called took Rakesh to the nearest hospital, which unfortunately did not have a trauma care centre neither was the duty doctor ready to take on the case as it had gotten complicated due to delay. He referred Rakesh to the SCB Medical College and Hospital, where Rakesh reached by early morning the next day of the accident. Treatment began but the delay in such cases is non-negotaible.
Similarly 28-year-old Manisha Mohanty was hit by a bus in the middle of the capital city but the nearest hospital where she was rushed, did not have a trauma specialist though it had an ICU and other facilities. Her treatment began immediately but she was later shifted to a private facility for better care with a trauma centre and specialist available. Nonetheless, she had to pay a hefty amount in both the medical facilities at a critical juncture.
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines trauma as :
a : an injury (such as a wound) to living tissue caused by an extrinsic agent
b : a disordered psychic or behavioral state resulting from severe mental or emotional stress or physical injury
c : an emotional upset
Both the cases were of patients who were hit in the head and were in delusion clearly fall in the category 'b' as per the definition. The shock both got because of the accident needed more of a specialist facility and doctor more than first aid, said Dr Mahesh Gochchayat, a trauma specialist. Unfortunately, many hospitals in the capital city of Bhubaneswar do not have a specilised trauma care centre. Patients in need of immediate attention suffer irreparable damage which many a time lead to catastrophic results, he adds.
Keeping these instances in mind and given the requirements, the Odisha government has ramped up efforts to to take care of road accident cases by strengthening its trauma care infrastructure. Under the initiative, treatment for accident victims during the first 48 hours will be free, with costs covered by the government even in private hospitals. There are plans to upgrade the 30-bed Trauma Care Center at Cuttack SCB Medical College to a 500-bed facility, and soon it will be upgraded to a Trauma Care Center of Excellence.
“The SCB trauma unit, ranked second in the country for accident treatment, will set new benchmarks,” said Additional DMET Umakant Satapathy. Currently, Odisha has 107 trauma care centers—89 under government management and 18 in private hospitals, including two out-of-state facilities in Visakhapatnam and Raipur.
Trauma care centers are categorized into Level 1, 2, and 3, based on the scope of services. Level 1 centers, including SCB, MKCG, and Burla medical colleges, have 30 beds with 10 ICU units. Level 2 and Level 3 centers, planned at new and district hospitals respectively, will have smaller capacities. To enhance accident response, the state plans to establish Level 3 trauma centers every 50 km along national highways, ensuring immediate care within the “golden hour.”
Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar will also house a 5-story Level 1 Trauma Care Center with 200 beds, four emergency OTs, and specialized ICUs, operational by early 2025. These initiatives are yielding results, with accident-related fatalities in Odisha reducing by 50%.
Ambulance services will be enhanced and black-spots identified along highways. This will ensure faster patient transfers to nearby facilities. While Tamil Nadu leads in accident management nationwide, Odisha, with 11 medical colleges and three more in the pipeline, is likely to catch up pace.
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