Bengaluru sees 67% spike in accident victims dying en route to hospital

Bengaluru: Over the past three years, the number of accident victims dying en route to the hospital in Bengaluru has seen an alarming increase.

In 2021, 175 accident victims died while being transported to the hospital for emergency treatment. This number rose by nearly 67% to 292 victims in 2023, according to data from the Bengaluru Traffic Police.

Additionally, in 2023, at least 300 people died within the first hour—or the ‘golden hour’—after an accident occurred. Since 2021, most deaths due to accidents in the city each year have occurred within this critical time frame, highlighting the gap in emergency medical services reaching such victims promptly. Traffic police data indicates that most fatal accidents occur on major high-speed roads leading to the outskirts of the city and during the 9 PM to 6 AM time period, which could hinder access to ambulance services.

Dr Deepak S., Medical Superintendent at Victoria Hospital, explained that there are deficiencies in emergency care due to the distance and time ambulances take to reach victims and the hospital, compounded by traffic congestion.

“The earlier a patient reaches a hospital and receives emergency care, the better their chances of survival. However, this also depends on the severity of the injury,” he said.

He noted that even if victims are taken immediately to tertiary care hospitals, they may need to be transferred to a facility that offers specialised care if they have suffered a traumatic head injury, which not every hospital can provide. He highlighted another issue: the lack of trained paramedical staff to provide basic life-saving first aid in ambulances, especially in private ones. Although the 108 ambulance service—operating 715 vehicles across the state—provides emergency care services free of cost, its reach might not be as extensive as needed.

D Randeep, Health Commissioner, noted that the state requires at least 745 such ambulances and acknowledged the need to expedite emergency care’s arrival at accident scenes and hospitals.

“We have been in discussions with the police to synchronise traffic signals to allow ambulances, especially the 108 services, to pass through quickly. We will prioritize this initiative soon,” he said.

Signal advancements

The traffic police’s ASTraM (Actionable Intelligence for Sustainable Traffic Management) system and their application for ambulances allow for some synchronisation of signals and easier flow of ambulances in the city thus improving emergency response times.

“Sophisticated technology such as a device that can alert police when ambulances are within 200 meters of a signal so that the signal changes to green to allow them to pass might be developed soon” said M A Saleem Director General of Police CID Special Units and Economic Offences and former Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic).