An Emergency Helpline to help Road Accident Helpline - 1907 :
Introduction :
SAHAYA has completed all most three years of intervention with road accident victims. The program started in December 2009 with the formal inauguration by the Dy. Commissioner, Orissa State Road Transport Authority. It has been operating two 24 x 7 Road Accident Helplines – one from Baramunda bus stand to Khurda and another from Bhubaneswar city to Pipli to rescue and support the road accident victims. The accident victims are provided with necessary services till they are handed over to their nearest relatives. As an emergency intervention centre for victims of road accidents the project has been able to reach out to about 3000 victims of road accidents till date.
As per the report, road accidents no more remain an other man’s concern. With an alarming magnitude of more than 2500 human deaths, 10000 injured and fatality rate of 33 in Orissa State, the issue has emerged as everybody’s concern. As a result the Accident Helpline has been initiated by the Transport Department and Road Safety Authority of Orissa. It has been taken as a pilot project to experiment the effectiveness of services being provided to the road accident victims.
Activities :
1. First Aid Training
All the existing staff members of Accident Helpline have undergone a road accident training program at the office. All of the Road Accident volunteers have received first aid training which was conducted by the St. John’s Ambulance. They were trained to handle road accident victims, to administer necessary first aid services, to shift the victims to hospital and support the patient till his/her relatives come and attend the case. Others will shortly undergo the training.
2. Accident intervention
The team members of Accident Helpline immediately rush to the spot of accident and shift the case to the Capital Hospital after necessary first aid services. They also attend to the patients and work through his/her treatment, arrange medicine from Red Cross, send message to the relatives of the victim, prepare necessary document and inform the police about the case. So far we have intervened with about 3000 cases and are able to provide them necessary support services. List of the cases who are provided with services is attached as annexure.
4. Services of Medical Volunteers
The organization has deputed some volunteers at the hospital who immediately take the responsibility of accident victims as soon as the victims is reached at the hospital. They inform the doctors, help the hospital staff in treatment, transportation of the patients to wards, get medicines, get bloods, provide attendant services to the patients till his/her relatives reach at the hospital, provide food and clothes, hot water and ice. They also transport the critical patients to SCB Medical College for specializes treatment with the advice of the doctors. In addition the volunteers try to inform the family / relatives of the patients as soon as possible. If the patient does not have any nearest relative then he/she is referred to any shelter homes after treatment.
5. Publicity
Sahaya is well known by the public for its long services for the destitute patients. However we discuss with the auto associations, bus and truck associations of Bhubaneswar to inform about the road accidents. Sahaya also has a close contact with the police station who refer accident cases. In future we are planning to have wider publicity campaign in the city.
Challenges
1. In some cases the victims are unclaimed. It means they have no support system. We have to spend all the money required for them.
2. The very poor patients need our support to be repatriated to their family. The cost involved for transportation is difficult to meet.
3. We have found some cases, who are destitute. So we have to locate a shelter for them. It is difficult to find a shelter home for men and handicapped and mentally challenged persons.
4. Without having an ambulance we find difficulties to reach out to the patients immediately.
