Chhatrapur: Ganjam district tops the list of fatalities due to road accidents in Odisha. However, sources said Monday that the lack of trauma care centres in the district is also contributing to the number of deaths due to road accidents. Various reports have pointed out to the rising number of accidents in the district.
Similarly, fatalities have increased due to road mishaps. The national highway which passes through the district witnesses accidents every day. The district administration has formed a Road Safety Committee on the basis of directions issued by the Supreme Court.
However, it has not had any visible effect. Sources said the decisions taken by the committee are not being implemented for the safety and security of the commuters. Hence accidents and related casualties are on the rise. The committee was asked to convey its decision and plans on reducing road mishaps to the Odisha government and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
However, with the committee having just one meeting during the year, it has not been effective enough to check the rate of accidents. The Supreme Court has said that treatment of persons injured in road mishaps should be the first priority of officials.
However, it is not happening due to the lack of trauma care centres. Those which are available in some hospitals of the district lack modern equipment. There is a trauma care centre at the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur.
However, it is small and needs urgent upgrading. Local intelligentsia called for setting up of more trauma care centres in the district for urgent treatment of seriously injured persons within the ‘golden hour’, the first hour after a road accident so that their lives can be saved. The Supreme Court has also advocated for the establishment of more trauma care centres in various important places. The Road Safety Committee has also discussed this issue and has sent a request to the Odisha government to set up trauma care centres. However, despite several trauma care centres coming up in other places, there is no such proposal for Ganjam district.
