Publication:

Role of 108 ambulance services in road traffic accidents in Vijayapura, North Karnataka: a mixed methods study

Background Every year, traffic accidents claim more than 150,000 lives in India. Rather than being signs of systematic shortcomings in urban planning, enforcement and response, these are portrayed as individual incidents. Road trauma is one of India’s most underappreciated public health emergencies in the absence of combined visibility. The WHO estimates that 1.19 million people dies on Indian roads each year, making it a serious public health concern.

Methods This study is a mixed method study. Both qualitative and qualitative study 108 ambulance drivers, emergency medical staff and road traffic accident victims admitted in BLDE(DU), Vijayapura. Key person interview, focus group discussion, in-depth interview technique.

Results The time taken to shift the patient from site of accident to primary health care facility was ascertained and we found that, 105 (51%) cases it took 30 minutes to 1 hour, while 72 (34.9%) cases took less than 30 minutes and 29 (14.1%) took more than an hour to reach a health facility.

Conclusions 51% cases it took 30 minutes to 1 hour, while 34.9% cases took less than 30 minutes and 14.1% took more than an hour to reach a health facility. The use of advanced machinery by traffic police to regulate traffic is the need of the hour: From hand held walkie talkies, signalling systems, crash barriers, reflective lights, AI cameras, automated traffic violation finding tools and software’s integrated to Chellan generation for fines.