Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 2 (PTI) For a person injured in a road accident, every passing minute can make the difference between

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 2 (PTI) For a person injured in a road accident, every passing minute can make the difference between

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 2 (PTI) For a person injured in a road accident, every passing minute can make the difference between

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 2 (PTI) For a person injured in a road accident, every passing minute can make the difference between life and death. Reaching the right hospital in time, with doctors ready to begin treatment, can often decide whether a life is saved.

Recognising the importance of those crucial minutes, the Keralam Health Department is preparing to launch 'Golden Goal', an initiative aimed at making emergency medical care faster and more coordinated for road accident victims.

The project seeks to ensure that injured persons are taken to the most suitable hospital within minutes, depending on the nature and seriousness of their injuries, state Health and Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan said.

The idea is to move beyond simply sending an ambulance to an accident spot. Under the proposed system, ambulances, hospitals, doctors and emergency response agencies will work together so that treatment can begin without unnecessary delay.

In the first phase, the existing 108 ambulance network will be linked with ambulances operated by the Health Department Directorate, the Medical Education Department and other government institutions. An Integrated Command and Control Centre will coordinate the emergency response, he said in a release here.

Private ambulances and those operated by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) will also be brought into the network in the second phase.

Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha districts have been identified for the pilot implementation of the project, Muraleedharan said.

The initiative comes after the state rolled out 335 new 108 ambulances. The government hopes to strengthen the emergency care system, particularly during the first hour after an accident, when timely medical attention can be critical.

Under the new system, technology will play a key role in reducing delays.

A computer-based dispatch system, GPS tracking and Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping will help the control centre identify the nearest and most suitable available ambulance and direct it to the accident spot.

But the coordination will not end with the arrival of the ambulance.

Information about the injured person's condition, vital signs and the nature of the injuries will be recorded and transmitted online from the accident spot to the ambulance and then to the command and control centre.

Based on these details, ambulance staff will receive instructions on the hospital best suited to handle the case.

The hospital, too, will be informed before the patient arrives.

This advance information will allow doctors, trauma care teams, surgical departments and blood banks to make the necessary arrangements.

Instead of beginning preparations after the patient reaches the hospital, medical teams can be ready to act immediately.

The objective is to avoid a situation in which an accident victim is taken to a hospital that does not have the facilities needed to treat the injuries, resulting in further delay.

The project will not be limited to government hospitals. Accident victims can also be taken to private hospitals empanelled under the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

The government plans to widen the network in the second phase by bringing willing private hospitals and private ambulance operators on board.

The Health Department will coordinate with the Police, Motor Vehicles Department, Fire and Rescue Services, local self-government institutions, the Disaster Management Authority and private hospitals to ensure that the system functions smoothly.

Another important objective is to reduce the financial burden on families of accident victims by ensuring access to appropriate treatment through the available government-supported healthcare schemes.

The government also wants ordinary citizens to become an important part of the emergency response system.

People will be made aware of the need to call 108 immediately after witnessing an accident, provide the exact location and handle injured persons safely until medical assistance arrives.

The initiative also seeks to recognise and honour people who step forward to help accident victims and save lives through timely intervention.

Ambulance personnel, call centre staff, hospital trauma care teams, police personnel and Fire and Rescue staff who play a crucial role in saving lives will also be honoured.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)