The flip side of playing the Good Samaritan

In their enthusiasm to help accident victims, do-gooders in the city could be doing more harm than actually helping them. At least the experiences of the doctors in the trauma units seem to suggest so.

Therefore, emergency medical services (EMS) experts suggest that people should acquaint themselves with basics of trauma care so that they do not end up doing harm in a bid to do good.

Dr Jagdish Purohit, head of EMS services, Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital (ABMH), said that in many accident cases, victims suffer additional injuries or trauma due to improper handling during transit.

“For example, if someone wearing a helmet meets with an accident; his head is protected within the helmet. But if one does not know how to remove it after an accident, serious injuries could be suffered not just in the head, but also the spine. Most of the time, people try to give water to accident victims, but if the airways are blocked, the person might choke to death,” said Purohit.

Lokmanya Hospital’s emergency medical services co-ordinator, Dr Shrikrishna Joshi, seconded the opinion saying that they had encountered cases where improper handling has hurt patients.

“When you are moving a victim to a hospital or transferring him from one vehicle to another, it is important to give proper support to not just the head, but also to the neck. The victim should be placed on a hard surface prior to transfer to prevent further injury. During the transfer, pressure should be applied on the wound to prevent blood loss,” he added.

Many hospitals like Jehangir Hospital offer free lifesaver programmes where citizens are familiarised with few basic tips to save lives, said the hospital’s medical superintendent, Manisha Bobade.

“Most important is the primary assessment of the patient, followed by choosing the right hospital to shift the patient depending on his needs. Victims should be never lifted from hands or legs,” she advised.