The trauma care initiative launched in the State under the aegis of the Indian Medical Association is significant, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
He was speaking after inaugurating Trauma Rescue Initiative (TRI), Trivandrum, a project to save lives in road accidents in the city, and the IMA Network for Trauma and Emergency Care (INTEC), being launched across the State, here on Thursday.
Mr. Vijayan said the government was planning a trauma care mechanism across the State. The move was prompted by the rising number of road accidents. In accidents, it was critical to provide expert medical treatment at the earliest. The chances of saving a life were high if an accident victim was taken to hospital with expert facilities within the golden hour. At times though, treatment was denied to the victims for lack of money. Taking these into account, the government had decided to bear all the expenses of treatment in the first 48 hours.
The Chief Minister lauded U.S.-based Ramesh Kumar Foundation for financially supporting the TRI initiative. He handed over the keys to an ambulance with latest facilities, contributed by the IMA and the foundation, to State Police Chief Loknath Behera.
Minister for Health K.K. Shylaja inaugurated the trauma hospital chain initiative. Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala inaugurated TRI software and Mayor V.K. Prasanth launched the TRI logo sticker. TRI chairman Jacob Punnoose and IMA State unit president E.K. Oommen were present.
