01
Background
National Highway No. 8 between Ahmedabad and Bombay, passing through Gujarat, is one of the country's busiest roads — 263 kilometres that rank alongside the Bombay–Pune, Delhi–Chandigarh and Calcutta–Haldia stretches in traffic volume. For most of its distance it is just two lanes and very curvaceous, two factors that drive a high number of accidents. The Government of Gujarat dealt with more than 100 accidents per month on this stretch, yet despite everyone's best efforts fatality among victims did not reduce as expected.
02
Guiding principles
We stepped in with a difference, identifying the bottlenecks in reaching medical care to victims. The guiding principles were the Golden Hour — adequate medical aid within the first hour can improve survival chances by 80% per UK Acute Trauma Life Support guidelines; Networking — building awareness among hospitals along the highway of a network offering immediate care with simplified admission; and a Co-ordinated Approach — aligning the existing state highway police, government machinery and ambulance providers. After two years of deliberations, permission from the National Highway Authority was secured.
03
Infrastructure & working pattern
Rescue cabins were installed every 50 kilometres along the 265 km stretch, each staffed round the clock with a medical van and first-aid kit. Five traffic-aid posts run by the State Highway Police are equipped with two jeeps, one crane, a wireless set and an emergency vehicle, manned by five police personnel and a driver. A control room at Baroda — the centre of the area of operation — can reach any ambulance provider, police control, traffic-aid post or network hospital, with a round-the-clock telephone helpline.
04
Methodology
The communication and pick-up chain:
- Accident site calls the control room
- Control room informs the nearest rescue station
- Ambulance & team sent immediately
- Patient delivered to the nearest hospital
05
Creating awareness
The last and most crucial link was awareness among local communities along the highway. Educational programs were run with community leaders and village “sarpanch”; a poster campaign at every phone booth, petrol pump and eatery; metallic sign-posts every 5 km on both sides; stickers inside buses and on four-wheelers travelling the highway; and brochures.