How to help in saving a road accident victim ?
Over the past decade around 1 million people have lost their lives in road accidents in India .On the roads of India ,there is a death reported in every 4 minutes due to accident,which is highest number of road accident deaths in the entire world!
If we all pledge to act a little responsible on roads,a lot of such deaths can be prevented and precious lives can be saved.We need to follow the traffic rules ,wear helmets ,seat belts and avoid rash or careless driving .Moreover ,bystanders at the sight of the accident should act responsibly and immediately take the victim to a well equipped trauma centre specialized to handle life threatening situations.
What we all need to understand is the crucial factor here is the time lapse between accident and the time when the victim gets the medical attention in hospital.This time could decide the difference between life and death of a person ,but not many people understand this time’s value .
But what most of us are concerned more about instead is that we should not get into any legal troubles or police harassment because of somebody else.The bystanders usually ignore and don’t bother enough to rush the victim immediately to the hospital .
Around half of the persons can be saved according to the experts ,if they are provided with medical assistance on time.
So,next time if you are the one present on such an unfortunate sight,don’t forget to act responsible :
1.The first thing to do is to call ambulance immediately .Do it yourself or ask somebody else to do in the meanwhile .Stay at the site as the emergency team might need your help to reach the location..Staying calm yourself is equally important.
2.Check if the person is conscious or not.If he is not conscious or even dizzy,there could be chances that he has been hit on head.Please take special care of head all the time .The head should never be left hanging or unsupported.
3. Gently lift the victim and place on a blanket /sheet if available.Move the person to the side of the road.Do not lift him with his limbs .If sheet is not available ,make sure that the person’s head,neck and back is supported all the time while you take him to hospital.
4.Drive the person directly to a nearby hospital if you expect the ambulance to take time .That should be done only if you feel that the situation is very dire,wait for emergency team to arrive otherwise.
5. Do not try to do CPR if you are not trained enough.Don’t put unnecessary pressure on the chest.
Bystanders have to come to the rescue of accident victims because of the importance of golden hour.Majority of deaths take place in India because of lack of emergency medical care within the first crucial hour of the accident.
So please be a responsible human being and citizen next time ..and take the person immediately to a well equipped trauma centre to save a precious life for their loved ones !!