Ensure healthcare services at toll plazas: Ludhiana Rajya Sabha MP urges Nitin Gadkari

Rajya Sabha MP from Ludhiana Sanjeev Arora has written to Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari for ensuring availability of emergency and trauma care services at toll plazas across the country.

Arora mentioned in his letter that in 2022, India witnessed over 1,50,000 road traffic accidents, resulting in approximately 80,000 fatalities and over 3,00,000 injuries.

“Road accidents in India are the leading cause of death among young adults aged 15-34 years. The economic impact of road traffic accidents is substantial, with estimated losses amounting to about 3 per cent of the country’s GDP annually,” the letter added.

He said considering these statistics and the increasing traffic volumes on roads, ensuring timely and effective emergency medical care is crucial for safeguarding lives.

To enhance the safety and well- being of road users, he requested that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), take necessary steps to ensure the availability of emergency and trauma care services at all toll plazas nationwide.

Arora suggested that there should be a provision of readily available ambulances equipped to provide immediate medical assistance to those in need.

He requested to ensure availability of ambulances equipped with essential medical tools and personnel trained to provide basic life support services.

Arora suggested deployment of ambulances with advanced medical equipment and trained personnel to handle severe and life-threatening emergencies.

Further, he requested to establish designated trauma care facilities or partnerships with nearby hospitals to ensure rapid and effective treatment for trauma cases.

Arora hoped that implementing the suggested measures will not only improve the response time in emergency situations but also ensure that road users receive the highest level of care when they need it most.

The recent initiatives by the MoRTH like good samaritan, celebrating the road safety week, creation of road safety engineering cell are praiseworthy. In addition to this, a collaborative effort between the MoRTH and MoHFW to ensure easy and ready availability of emergency and trauma healthcare services at toll plazas nationwide would be instrumental in enhancing road safety and reducing the adverse impact of accidents.

In conclusion, Arora urged the minister to consider this proposal and take the necessary actions to facilitate the implementation of services suggested by him.

He said, “Ensuring comprehensive emergency healthcare at toll plazas would be a significant step toward protecting the lives of countless individuals traveling across our nation’s roadways.”