Bringing focus to the critical gap in immediate care for road crash victims, NIMHANS on Monday launched a lay responder care module aimed at strengthening early emergency response in the city.
The initiative, part of a project to build youth capacity to provide first response care, also includes a dedicated website and volunteer identity cards to support trained responders.
Road traffic injuries continue to pose a major public health challenge in India, with an estimated 23-25 deaths occurring every hour, largely affecting young people. Experts noted that a significant proportion of fatalities occur before victims can reach the hospital, with only a small fraction receiving timely first aid.
Speaking at the launch, Parashurama K., Deputy Inspector General of Police and Commissioner for Traffic and Road Safety, said trained lay responders can play a vital role in bridging the gap between the time of injury and access to professional medical care. He stressed the need to expand such training to frontline police personnel and those working at toll booths.
Prabha S. Chandra, NIMHANS director, highlighted the scale of the problem, noting that the institute handles around 10,000 to 13,000 traumatic brain injury cases annually, with a majority linked to road traffic incidents. She underlined the importance of strengthening both prevention and post-crash care systems.
