Road Safety experts against reconverting apex trauma centre JNPAT in National Capital to Covid centre

New Delhi: International Road Federation (IRF), a global road safety body working for better and safer roads worldwide expressing concern at the move of AIIMS administration for reconverting the Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre (JPNAT) which is part of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the National Capital Delhi into a trauma centre in wake of impending covid and Omicron threat.  

The Global road safety body has written to the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya urging him to step in and not to allow reconversion of JPNAT the only trauma centre in the National Capital Region (NCR) to be reconverted into Covid centre.

In March 2020 JPNAT was converted to a full-fledged Covid centre and recently normal trauma services were restored at the Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre (JPNAT).

“The JPNAT trauma centre is essentially needed as this is the holistic Trauma Care Centre which has become a world-famous Level – I trauma care centre with an Annual footfall of 70-80,000 (only injured patients). It has been the only centre in the country providing 24x7 quality patient care with all specialties catering to injured patients. The Centre also catered to complicated trauma victims referred from other Hospitals, patients from Central Armed Police forces injured in action, patients of Mass and multiple casualty incidents.” Said Mr. K K Kapila, President Emeritus, International Road Federation (IRF).

“The principal specialties include, Trauma Surgery & Critical Care, Emergency Medicine (Trauma), Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Plastic & Reconstructive surgery, Anesthesia/ Neuro-Anesthesia & Intensive care, and had support from all other clinical specialties (like OBGyn, Pediatric Surgery, Endocrinology, Cardiology, etc. from AIIMS, New Delhi). It had separate 24x7 support specialties like Interventional Radiology and Radio-diagnostics, 24x7 Lab. Medicine & Infection Control, 24x7 Blood Bank, Physiotherapy & Rehab., Special Nursing divisions like Trauma Nurse Coordinator System, Wound Care Nursing, etc. “ said Mr. Kapila.

“Infrastructure at JPNAT  includes State of the art Emergency Department with all diagnostic and Imaging facilities, Interventional Radiology Suite, 6 State of the Art OT’s, 2 dedicated ICU’s – 45 beds (1 Neurotrauma ICU, 1 Trauma Surgery ICU),  185 In-Patient Beds (general and Private). This facility is essentially required to provide high-quality Trauma Care in the NCR which has one of the highest road accidents in the country

“India accounts for about 1.5 lakh road accident deaths per year, the highest in the world with more than 4.25 lakh Injuries annually, most of them are in the young age group of 18-40 years, therefore tremendous loss of Productive years of lives lost. Moreover, Trauma causes very high in-hospital mortality (15-30%) as well as irreparable disabilities to the victim. It is a Leading Cause of Disability Adjusted life years (DALY’s) lost in India. Trauma Care is Acute care and the results are time-dependent and any loss of time during the In-hospital care leads to death/ disability.” Said Mr. Satish Parakh, President, International Road Federation, India Chapter.

“ JPNAT should continue as fully functional Level – I Trauma Centre meant for the highest level of Holistic Trauma Care which requires multiple specialties under one roof so as to provide timely and high class, coordinated multispecialty care so that precious lives and limbs could be saved.” Said Mr. Parakh.

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