Fast Patient-Stabilization Mobile Units to Trial in India

A novel mobile trauma care concept launched in India is intended to bring on-site trauma care to people injured in traffic accidents, instead of waiting for them to arrive at the hospital.

The new initiative was launched in Patiala (Punjab, India), with the introduction of the SevaMobile, a fully functional mobile trauma unit that also provides emergency critical care on site. In addition to the sevaMobile ambulance, two SevaMobile motorcycles will also be introduced, which will be able to navigate through traffic and narrow roads to provide first response immediate care and stabilization. This first level of care will allow for victims to be quickly treated, while more comprehensive care is on its way. The service, planned to commence in winter 2009, will be offered free to those who cannot afford medical services and will be funded by the Patiala Health Foundation (Weirton, WV, USA). The organization is also currently planning to partner with public and private hospitals in the area to transport patients to larger treatments centers. Those patients who can afford the service will pay for their care, enabling the program to partially fund itself, while also creating a longer sustainability of operations.

"In our analysis of urban healthcare, we found that there were many efforts underway to build new structures and hospitals, but there was still a real need to reach victims faster,” said Amrik S. Chattha, M.D., president of the Patiala Health Foundation. "We believe the SevaMobile initiative will be a major innovation, impacting the lives of people by treating them quickly and more efficiently. We also believe that prehospital care, such as that offered by the SevaMobile, should be a right to all injured victims.”

Trauma-related deaths occur every 1.9 minutes in India, according to a 2004 report in the Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine. With traffic increasing, trauma will move from its current ninth position to become India's third leading cause of death by 2020. The 10% increase in deaths from injuries in Punjab between 1983 and 1992 demonstrates the urgent need for trauma facilities in the region.

Related Links:
Patiala Health Foundation