Surat, July 14: Aimed towards enhancing emergency response capabilities and improving road safety in Gujarat, SaveLIFE Foundation (SLF), in association with the Gujarat Road Safety Authority (GUJROSA) and with CSR support from the Linde Group, recently concluded Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS) training for over 450 enforcement personnel and community volunteers in the districts of Surat and Bharuch in Gujarat.
This BTLS training was conducted to help equip enforcement officers and community volunteers with skills and knowledge necessary to effectively respond during emergency situations. The initiative, undertaken as a part of the Zero Fatality Corridor (ZFC) project deployed on the 65-km Surat-Bharuch stretch of National Highway 48, marks a pivotal step towards building a resilient and well-prepared community ready to tackle medical emergencies. The ZFC program has deployed on this stretch since October 2021 and this is the first such training there.
As per the 201st Law Commission of India Report, over 50 percent of road crash fatalities can be avoided, provided victims receive timely, emergency medical care. Chances of survival of victims are the highest if they receive the required medical assistance during the Golden Hour–the first hour following a life-threatening emergency. For a majority of people, especially road crash victims, this assistance is the difference between life and death.
In 2021 alone, India lost over 1,50,000 people in approximately 4,10,000 road crashes. With the absence of a centralized emergency health care system, most road crash victims rely solely on bystanders or passers-by for immediate help. An essential part of on-ground efforts during emergency situations includes training bystanders, volunteers and policemen, often the first set of people who assist road crash victims.
To this end, SLF, a nonprofit working on making roads in India safer since 2008, has been training policemen, community volunteers and students to make them adept at assisting road crash victims. The training includes activities to stabilize and help victims till medical assistance arrives, and transport them securely to a medical facility, if required. Under this unique, community-driven chain of survival, the JeevanRakshak Training Program (JRTP), Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS) techniques are taught to create a network of speedy and skillful medical first-responders.
Speaking about this initiative, Mr Lalit P. Padalia, Commissioner, Road Safety, Gujarat Road Safety Authority, said, “This initiative has helped strengthen the overall resilience and preparedness of Surat and Bharuch. With more trained individuals–both police personnel and volunteers–capable of effectively responding during emergencies, the possibility of saving lives in the event of a road crash increases manifold. We welcome this initiative as such training exercises also help encourage a proactive approach towards public safety and create a sense of confidence and responsibility within the community.”
Elaborating on the training program and the importance of it, Mr Ranabir Chatterjee, Head – Deliver and Safety, Linde South Asia, said, “India is confronted with a grave road safety situation currently and Linde – India is committed to supporting efforts for reducing crashes, and subsequent fatalities and injuries. To this effect, we look forward to collaborating with SaveLIFE and working towards having safer shared roads for everyone. With over 450 participants equipped with life-saving skills and knowledge, the two cities will now be better prepared to handle traumatic incidents and have improved chances of positive outcomes in critical situations. ”
Followed by a test to assess trainees’ learning, the training includes actions to be undertaken during other emergencies too such as bomb blasts, and instances of choking, electrocution and heart attack.
Sharing his thoughts on the training sessions, the Founder and CEO of SaveLIFE Foundation, Mr. Piyush Tewari said, “Preservation of life is of utmost importance. This training, by empowering both enforcement officials and volunteers, who may find themselves in the position of passersby and bystanders, at a crash site, helps fill to a certain extent the existing gaps within the emergency care mechanism in India. This training is an essential part of the endeavours required to ensure an unbroken chain of survival which includes essential emergency care components including the ability to request for help, bystander care, a competent ambulance network and care facilities, and in-hospital care.“
As a part of its JeevanRakshak Training Program, in the last 15 years, SaveLIFE Foundation has trained approximately 25,000 participants in cities across states such as Delhi, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Haryana, among others.
