BANGALORE: To provide immediate treatment to accident victims and to safely shift them to the hospital under the supervision of trauma surgeons, Sparsh Hospital has launched a video-linked ambulance service.

Called Sparsh Accidents Victim Ensuring Safety Scheme (SAVES), this facility will ensure that time is not lost while moving the victim from the accident site to the base hospital on the premises of the proposed Health City on Hosur Road. A paramedical team and trauma surgeons will start treating the patient as soon as the ambulance reaches the spot.

The facility, which was launched by the City Police Commissioner Neelam Achuta Rao here on Friday, can be obtained by dialling a toll-free number 18004251333 from a BSNL landline or 9900100088 from any GSM phone. The facility will be available in a radius of 20 km around the city.

Chairman of Sparsh Hospital Sharan Shivraj Patil claimed that the video connectivity concept had been adopted for the first time in India. "This is to start treatment at the accident site. If we cannot reduce the time spent on moving a patient to the hospital, why not take the hospital to the site?" he said.

He said the staff in the ambulance would test the blood group, ECG and other required basic tests and transmit them to the base hospital. Based on continuous instructions from specialists at the hospital, the paramedical staff would start treating the patient from the time they shift the victim from accident site, he said.

Based on the information, units of blood and other consumables would be kept ready at the hospital, Dr. Sharan said.

After the patient is moved to the Sparsh Hospital, he would get all medical facilities free for the first 24 hours. "Without asking any questions about the identity or whether the patient can afford to pay, we will make all efforts in resuscitating the patient first.

After that the relatives of the patient can take him to any hospital or continue treatment at our hospital. We have also set up a charity trust through which we will fund the medical expenses of those who cannot afford," the doctor said.

Sparsh Hospital, in coordination with the Tamil Nadu Government, would start a trauma care centre at the Government Hospital in Hosur from October 2, he added.

Devi Shetty of Narayana Hrudayalaya and former Chief Secretary of Karnataka B.S. Patil, were present.

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