The peaceful Saturday afternoon was disturbed by a frantic wireless message from the control room at 1.11pm, a few minutes after a deadly accident
The peaceful Saturday afternoon was disturbed by a frantic wireless message from the control room at 1.11pm, a few minutes after a deadly accident occurred at Bhattan Tunnel on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
Four died on the spot. But there were two survivors and they needed immediate medical attention. Out of the two, one is still in danger and is admitted at the MGM Hospital, Navi Mumbai, and the other has been discharged.
Pune-based Lokmanya Medical Foundation, which operates 18 ambulances on the state’s highways as a part of Emergency Medical Services, sprung into action. “A message was sent to the fully-equipped medical ambulance stationed at the nearest spot, Kone, which had a team of doctors and paramedics,” said Dr Kumar Rakshe, director of EMS.
The team reached the spot in eight minutes — the international standard time limit for EMS response. The injured, who were in a highly critical condition, were then shifted to 500-bedded MGM Hospital at Navi Mumbai which has the infrastructure to deal with such cases.
This is just another day in the lives of the paramedics who are a part of the EMS services which has saved over 20,700 lives in the eight years since the service began.
“The goal is to reach the patient as soon as possible, start the right kind of treatment on the spot. We try to stabilise the patient and provide life-saving treatment on the spot,” said Dr Rakshe.
“The Golden Hour is very crucial when it comes to any emergency. That is why a reliable EMS service can work miracles,” agreed Dr Arun Lad, cardiac intensivist.
Four of the 18 ambulances are stationed on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway — at Urse Toll plaza, Kilometre 58 at ONM Centre near Lonavala (where the control room is located) Khalapur Toll plaza and Kone.
While weaving through traffic is a major obstacle in cities, ambulances offering EMS on the expressway do not face any major problem, he said. According to Dr Rakshe, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway is the safest and the best highway in the Western region, when compared to the old Bombay-Pune Highway, Pune-Nashik Highway, Pune-Kolhapur and the Western Bypass known as the Bangalore Highway.
There are warning boards at crucial turns on all the highways. “But 90 per cent of all accidents on the highways are caused by human error,” said Dr Rakshe.
s_deepa@dnaindia.net
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}