The
Andhra Pradesh Government has started a project called
APEMS (Andhra Pradesh Emergency Medical Services).
The aim of this project is...
1) to reduce
the number of accidents and severity of injuries sustained.
2) to reduce the mortality and morbidity caused by
the accidents.
This project is mainly directed to road accidents
on the highway initially as the treatment facilities
do not reach the victims in time in highway accidents.
The Kamineni Hospitals have been given the Hyderabad-Guntur
highway, which runs through Choutuppal, Nalgonda, Miriyalguda,
Pidiguralla, Satenapally to end in Guntur. Hospitals are
established one in Hyderabad, Guntur and at Narketpally
in Nalgonda district which is about 80 kilometers from Hyderabad,
Level III Centers are establishd on the highway at distance
of approximately 50 kms at Choutuppal, Nalgonda, Mirialguda,
Pidiguralla and Satenapally. Each trauma center is equipped
with all equipments and drugs necessary for trauma life
Support. Each center has an ambulance, which is equipped
for required resuscitation including ventilators and defibrillators.
About 1000 accident victims have been treated in the various
trauma centers in the last 10 months. An Emergency
4 digit number - 1056 has been allotted to this project.
On receiving a call the details about the place of the accident
will be taken and the 2 nearest trauma centers will be informed.
The ambulance along with 2 trained paramedics will reach
the site of accident and resuscitation measures will be
started at the site of accident. The victims will be then
transported to the nearest trauma center and then if necessary
to a higher center.
The Level I centers are also involved in increasing the
awareness about road safety to the public in the form of
advertisements and by conducting meetings with the public,
They also coordinate with the highway patrol police and
also with the R & B (Roads and Buildings department
to increase the safety measures in the highway.
The success of this project is evident from the fact that
the treatment is reached to the victims with in approximately
10 to 15 minutes of receiving the information. The goals
of this project is to further reduce the number of accidents,
reduce the treatment free interval to less than 5 minutes
and to increase the awareness in the public regarding road
safety.