An air ambulance in action
Around 15,000 road accidents are reported in Maharashtra annually, Sarnaik said.
“The aim is to ensure timely medical treatment for those injured in severe road accidents and help save lives,” Sarnaik said. introducing such a 24×7 service is not easy,” aviation analyst Dhairyashil Vandekar said While the govt’s intent is commendable. The service will cover Samruddhi Mahamarg (Mumbai-Nagpur highway), Pune-Mumbai Expressway and Mumbai-Goa highway, with the aim of transporting critically injured victims to hospitals during the crucial ‘golden hour’ — the first hour after an accident, when timely treatment can significantly improve survival chances. Reaching victims quickly remains a challenge, particularly on highways where traffic congestion, long distances to hospitals and inadequate access to emergency medical facilities can delay treatment. The proposed system will focus on air ambulance availability, safe transportation of injured victims to trauma care centres and coordination among emergency response agencies. The transport department will work with the health department and police to frame the SOPs. The plan also includes developing a network of trauma care centres, empanelling service providers, allocating funds from the road safety fund and standardising emergency response protocols. Aviation experts, however, cautioned that implementing a round-the-clock service would require substantial infrastructure and coordination. “With rapid urbanisation, exponential growth in vehicles and chronic traffic jams, reaching accident victims, especially on highways during the critical golden hour, has become extremely challenging, often costing precious lives.
Pune: The state govt plans to launch an emergency air ambulance service on three major highways from early next year to ensure faster medical assistance to accident victims, transport minister Pratap Sarnaik said on Tuesday.