While inaugurating the facility, Cuttack DCP Pinak Mishra said, “PCR vans play vital role in rescuing accident victims. With these vehicles coming up with the facilities of first aid kits and stretchers, the accident victims could be provided instant treatment and taken to nearest hospitals easily. These facilities will go a long way in helping the police.”
In the first phase of the drive, a Cuttack based private hospital has provided 30 first aid kits and 10 stretchers.
In the coming days, the same hospital authorities would donate these kits and stretchers to all PCR vans in districts.
Party spokesperson Thakur Ranjit Das on Friday took a dig at the State government stating that the Odisha is far behind as compared to other states in providing appropriate compensation to the families of those killed in accidents.
For instance, the BJP leader compared the ex-gratia amount announced by the Maharashtra government for the deceased in the fire tragedy at Mumbai's Tardeo with the recent bus mishap in Soro in Balasore district, on January 22. As many as 6 persons were killed in the accident. While the Maharashtra government had announced Rs 5 lakh for the next of kin of the persons who lost their lives in the incident, the Odisha government announced only Rs 2 lakh each for the victims of the bus mishap.
Moreover, Das also mentioned about the stampede at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in which as many as 12 persons were killed and several others injured earlier this month. An ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the next of kin of those who died in the stampede had been announced by the Jammu & Kashmir Lt Governor.
Comparing both the incidents with the bus mishap and the ex-gratia amount announced by the respective governments, Das demanded the Odisha government to raise the ex-gratia amount and compensate the victims’ families from Chief Minister Relief Fund without any hesitation.
"The Odisha government should realise the value of every life. Instead of just focusing on campaigning or advertising, the government should stand with the family of the victims and compensate them that will aid them at the time of crisis. The government should hike the ex-gratia amount," demanded Das.
Under this programme, arrangements will be made at different shops along the State and National highways to offer first aid treatment and pre-trauma care to accident victims immediately. In the preliminary phase, the Commerce and Transport Department will train around 500-600 master trainers at 10 different locations.
Furthermore, with the help of the Health Department and Red Cross Society, people associated with different business entities will be trained by professionals for providing first aid to accident victims immediately. The programme will also include Dhaba owners, betel shops and tea shop owners on the roadside. All these first aid points will be identified based on the police station areas.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will be inaugurating the programme on November 10, informed the Secretary, State Commerce and Transport Department.
"The first hour after the accident is considered as the 'Golden Hour' and it is crucial to provide immediate medical assistance to the accident victim within this time. However, on failing to do so, the accidental death remains high. The ultimate aim of government with this programme is to provide first aid to the accident victims immediately which will hopefully bring down the death rates," said Madhusudan Padhi, Secretary, Commerce and Transport Department.
The government aims to train around 30, 000 persons every year under this programme which is indeed the first time of its kind.
As per the Central government's Road Transport and Highways Ministry's data, around 48 death cases are reported in every 100 accidents in Odisha, while the all India count remains at 35. Moreover, of the total, around 60-70% of accidents are reported on National Highways and Highways in Odisha.
Around 350 accident-prone spots or 'black spots' have been identified in the State till date. Meanwhile, the government has plans to work on 100 black spots and rectify those spots. Such an initiative of the government is being applauded by roadside vendors.
"Almost every day we witness several accidents, and even we have sent the victims to hospitals. Such an initiative of the government is welcoming but we need to be trained well so that we can give first aid to the patients before the arrival of the ambulance," said Pradeep Kumar Samal, a betel shop owner.
Meanwhile, a Dhaba owner, Sayad Mumtaz Ali, said, "I witness several accidents throughout the day as my Dhaba is located close to the national highway. We help the accident victims, as much as we can. This initiative of the government will be more helpful in saving precious lives."
However, road safety experts have expressed concerns over the highway construction across the State which share a major chunk of accidents.
"There should be no 'U-Turn' on National or State highways. The probabilities of accident swell up in such circumstances as the riders may not be able to judge the vehicles coming from the opposite directions and end up meeting with an accident. Removing the U-Turns will certainly raise the travel costs of the commuters but will save their lives," said Sayad Maqbul Ali, former member of the National Road Safety Committee.
Three residents of Raghunathpur town- Saroj Das, Raghunath Moharana and Dinanath Singh - were given cash incentives and certificates for extending help to shift as many as 19 road accident victims to a hospital on November 21, said Jay Narayan Pankaj, Superintendent of Police, Jagatsinghpur.
"It's refreshing to note that the Good Samaritan policy adopted by the district police is reaping dividends.
More and more people are now coming forward to help accident victims," said Jay Narayan Pankaj, Superintendent of Police, Jagatsinghpur.
On the morning of November 21, a passenger bus had collided head on with a school van in Tarapur area. Both the vehicles skidded off the road and slipped into a ditch.
All three of them who were felicitated today had shown exemplary humanitarian attributes. They did their best to drag the passengers out of the crashed vehicles, the SP said.
They also sent SOS to police, fire brigade and ambulances for the timely shifting of the victims, Pankaj said.
"I was out on a morning walk when I heard a deafening sound followed by loud screams. The vehicles had turned turtle. Without wasting time, I ran to drag people out of the mangled bus," said Saroj Das, a resident of Tarapur.
Two passersby- Raghunath and Dinanath - assisted him in the rescue work.
"We called the emergency service for the shifting of victims to Raghunathpur community health centre and Jagatsinghpur district headquarters hospital," Das said.
The Good Samaritan scheme has definitely given an impetus to people to help accident victims, Pankaj said.
"The scheme helps in reducing the time for an accident victim to reach a hospital. People are usually hesitant to help as police investigation and legal hassles following a road accident scare them. Now, however, many are volunteering to come forward to don the mantle of a 'good samaritan'," he added.
These are parts of the proposed standard operating procedure (SOP) to strengthen the 'golden hour management' system in a bid to reduce the death rate in road accidents in the state.
Chief Secretary AK Tripathy issued a direction in this regard while reviewing the system at a meeting here.
While 4790 people were killed in road accidents in 2017, it increased to 5315 in 2018. At least 2532 people have been killed from January to May this year.
Tripathy asked the health and family welfare department to bring all private and government ambulance services under the umbrella of a common call centre to provide the earliest service to the victims.
The chief secretary directed all the private and government hospitals to provide the best quality life-saving treatment to accident victims for first 48 hours free of cost since that period is crucial for the lives of accident victims.
Health & Family Welfare department would soon issue the SOP in this matter, department Secretary P K Meherda said.
Official sources said presently 512 vehicles operate as '108-Ambulances' in the state besides 19 fire station ambulances. Besides, the National High Way Authorities of India has also deployed one ambulance for a stretch of 50 kms of NH.
Besides, there are around 1562 private ambulances run by hospitals, charitable institutions and corporate houses, the sources said.
It was decided at the meeting that technical standards for the registration of an ambulance would be prepared by Health & Family Welfare department keeping in view the National Ambulance Code.
This would specify the equipment, paramedic staff, medicines and other life-saving gadgets for an ambulance. Each ambulance would also have one GPS tracking device for indicating its exact location and movement so that necessary assistance and instructions could be given to the personnel in the vehicle as and when required, the sources said.