HEALTH

For neurosurgery dial 98140-21111
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana March 30
Head injury is a common cause of disability and death in India. Most of these head injuries occur on highways in towns, village and cities. Head injury should be treated immediately by a neurosurgeon. Unfortunately, in India, there are only 400 neurosurgeons for a population of 1.02 billion people, and the time required for a head injury patient to reach a neurosurgeon is approximately 4 hours. This prevents the optimal care of the patient, following trauma. Most of this is preventable, if the required expert advice is available at hand.

It was with this in mind that the Department of Neurosurgery, CMCH, Ludhiana, and Spice Communications Ltd decided to tie up to give the community a neurosurgeon on-call for better care and pre-hospital management of a patient with head trauma. Also, it was with this concept that patients who have received care in the Neurosurgery Department will be able to contact the neurosurgeon concerned for further advice/care, that could be administered at a peripheral hospital near their home instead of coming all the way to CMCH.

98140-21111 is the hotline number provided to the Department of Neurosurgery, Christian Medical College by Spice, the number is easy to remember, and also easy to dial. This number can be accessed from anywhere in Punjab by phone at the cost of local call. Phone will be answered by one of the consultants in neurosurgery who can provide proper guidance to the patients’ paramedical staff or doctors in periphery who are managing head injury, spinal cord injury and trauma patients. This number will also provide guidance and advice to neurosurgery patients who have already received treatment in neurosurgery at CMC, Ludhiana.