The state of Punjab loses around 4,500 lives a year due to road accidents, but not even one trauma center is operational.
Five trauma centers were opened by the state government a decade ago in Jalandhar, Pathankot, Khanna, Ferozepur and Fazilka, but none are operational today.
The trauma center at Khanna has been converted into a gynecological unit, while the one in Jalandhar served as a Covid center during the pandemic.
As part of the initial funding, the central government assisted in setting up and operating the centers.
When the Center stopped funding the salaries of the staff about five years ago, the five centers were closed despite having modern buildings and latest equipment.
As none of the trauma units had a neurosurgeon to treat head injuries, they were practically non-starters. There is no neurosurgeon in the entire state government medical setup.
The location of these centers is also a serious flaw. Medical facilities should be available on highways in accordance with trauma care standards. In Punjab, however, all five centers were opened in district or civil hospitals, which made them inaccessible. The Tamil Nadu model was recently discussed with the Centre during a meeting. There were 17.75 lakh trauma injuries in TN between 2017 and 2021, and 11,525 people died from them. Each third person who suffers trauma injuries dies, according to national data.
Neelima, Managing Director of Punjab Health Systems Corporation, explained that the five centers had a lack of manpower. “We’ll resolve the issue soon,” she said.