Kathmandu, March 31

Orthopaedic surgeons say pre-hospital management of road accident victims such as lifting them properly, placing them inside the vehicle in the right position and piercing a needle in the chest can prevent 30 per cent deaths.

Dr Ram Kewal Shah said up to 30 per cent road fatalities could be prevented if first responders put the victims inside ambulances or vehicles with their left or right side down and mouth open to facilitate breathing.

“In most cases first responders put victims in an ambulance or vehicle in face-up position. This can be fatal for unconscious victims as that position can block air from entering the lungs. Blocking air for three minutes can lead to death,” he added.

Orthopaedic surgeon at Dhulikhel Hospital Dipak Shrestha said road accidents could cause pneumothorax, a fatal condition that can be treated by first responders. “Paramedics in ambulances can save an injured person suffering from pneumothorax by piercing a needle into his/her chest,” he said.

Dr Shrestha said if road accident victims were lifted from the ground or extricated from trapped places properly, chances of survival could increase. “Our community members who are often the first responders do not know how to rescue victims properly,” he added.

He also said if the victims were not rescued properly, then chances of vein damage would be high and this could paralyse the victims.

He said the government should train community members how to provide first aid to accident victims.

Dr Pradeep Vaidya, professor of surgery at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital said there were only 10 well equipped or 102 ambulances with paramedics in four cities — Kathmandu, Pokhara, Chitwan and Butwal. Such facilities have to be expanded to all parts of the country. “Ever since 120 ambulances were launched, more than 40 women in labour delivered babies in ambulances. This shows the significance of pre-hospital management in emergency care,” he added.

Vaidya said many accident victims could be saved if the government establishes single dispatch centre for ambulances and deployed emergency care professionals in those vehicles.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health Dr Shree Krishna Giri said there were many gaps in pre-hospital management of road accident victims which needed to be fixed. He said the government was preparing to bring some changes in health policies to reduce road fatalities. “It is true that 75 per cent emergency care can be provided in the ambulance before patients are transported to hospitals,” he said, adding that the government would add ambulances with provision of emergency care, including paramedics.

According to police statistics, the country recorded an average of 28 road accidents, which killed six person everyday in the fiscal 2016-17. Data also revealed that a total of 2,385 persons were killed in 10,178 roads accidents in 2016-17. Similarly, 12,540 were injured, 4,250 critically, in 2016-17.