Tamil Nadu’s emergency care centres treat 2.29 lakh patients in 12 years

In trauma care, doctors talk of the “golden hour” — 60 minutes, during which each 2nd carries weight. But what happens if precocious trauma facilities are miles distant from accident-prone highways and expanding municipality fringes? This is wherever Tamil Nadu’s Emergency Care Centres (ECC) — located on highways, including those connected Chennai’s outskirts — person stepped in, playing a captious relation implicit the past 12 years by handling much than 2 lakh cases and achieving a 96% endurance complaint among the critically injured and ill.

Since their inception, the ECCs person served a full of 2,29,065 persons truthful far. The State present has 12 ECCs, tally by EMRI Green Health Services nether the Tamil Nadu Health System Project, which besides operates the 108 ambulance network, strategically located on cardinal highways and high-risk stretches. These centres relation astatine strategical locations astatine Acharapakkam, Padianallur, Singaperumal Koil, Mahabalipuram, Veppur, Santhavelur, Kodumbalur, Madhanur, Madurai, Magundachavadi, Shoolagiri, and Gummidipoondi. Each centre handles astir 10 cases per day. Out of the cases handled daily, 50% are trauma-related, Keerthi Varman K., caput of Emergency Medicine Learning Centre and ECC, said.

Stabilising patients

M. Selvakumar, State Head of Operations, EMRI Green Health Services, said the purpose of these centres is to stabilise patients and notation them to due wellness facilities.

How are places identified for establishing an ECC? Locations for ECCs are determined done a grid investigation of locations wherever fatal accidents are high, utilizing Tamil Nadu’s yearly mishap data. The proximity of the nearest tertiary attraction installation is assessed, and if nary Tamil Nadu Accident and Emergency Care Initiative centre oregon aesculapian assemblage infirmary exists wrong a 25-km radius, a authorities gathering adjacent the hotspot is identified and projected for the ECC.

Need-based centres

These centres are wholly need-based. Once an accident-prone determination is adequately addressed, the installation is relocated to different identified hotspot. For instance, the ECC astatine Chromepet, acceptable up successful 2013, was shifted to Acharapakkam successful 2021 aft the Chromepet Government Hospital (GH) was upgraded. Similarly, the ECC astatine Sriperumbudur was relocated to Santhavelur pursuing the infirmary upgrade, and the Injambakkam ECC was moved to Singaperumal Koil, Dr. Keerthi Varman explained.

The ECCs cater not lone to persons injured successful roadworthy postulation accidents on the highways but besides to those facing aesculapian emergencies — including thorax pain, breathing difficulty, snake bites, poisoning, assaults, and falls — successful surrounding areas.

The round-the-clock centres are equipped to grip accidents and aesculapian emergencies, including managing airway, breathing and circulation, and stabilising patients. Each centre is staffed with 1 doc and 3 paramedical unit per shift, each trained successful exigency protocols. “This is not a infirmary but a stabilisation centre. For example, if a diligent en way to a aesculapian assemblage infirmary successful a 108 ambulance deteriorates and needs to beryllium stabilised, he/she is brought to the ECC. The diligent spends a maximum of 30 minutes here, and is shifted to the due installation soon aft stabilisation,” helium said.

Mr. Selvakumar added that ECCs assistance successful reducing the decease rate. “The authorities of India has taken enactment of the relation played by these ECCs,” helium said. In addition, impermanent ECCs are acceptable up astatine wide gatherings specified arsenic temple festivals.