DNA
31 October 2012
Survey to understand standard of medical care in India with emphasis on difference between pvt & public sectors
About 60% accident victims are transferred to hospitals in private vehicles due to non–availability of ambulances. What is worse is that 50% of these patients are severely injured, revealed a study conducted by doctors from Sancheti Institute along with Canada–based McMaster University.
The results of the multi–centric study involving 15 eminent hospitals from across India were presented in October at the Orthopaedic Trauma Association Conference, held in Minneapolis, USA, by Dr Chetan Pradhan, assistant medical director and head of trauma department of Sancheti Institute.
The study was conducted to evaluate the characteristics and treatment of patients with fractures, which the emergency department encountered and aimed to understand fractures and evaluating contribution of specific injury mechanisms.
"More than 5,000 patients were covered in the study in which Sancheti Research Centre took a leading role. We wanted to understand the standard of medical care prevalent in our country with an emphasis on the difference in outcomes between private and public sectors. The trial concluded the apparent lack of immediate tertiary level care available for majority trauma victims. Patients visiting private compared to public sectors got better outcomes," said Pradhan.
The study found that 30% injuries were a result of road traffic accident, with 7 in 10 such patients being male. However, the most shocking revelation was that 60% patients were transported to the hospital in vehicles other than ambulance, of which around the 50% were severely injured.
"An important finding was that in 7% cases, hospital admission of patients was delayed by nearly 72 hours after the injury, and this was more often seen in public sector hospitals," said Pradhan.
He added, "The number of non–orthopaedic injuries, open fractures and multiple fractures were more common causes of mortality in these patients."
