Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today said that there is no airlifting facility in Kashmir to transport critically injured patients from the scene of the injury to a trauma center.
President DAK Dr Nisar ul Hassan in a statement said that lack of air transport is a cause of low survival in trauma patients.
“Patients fail to receive critical trauma care during the golden hour due to lack of quick transport. Majority of them die as they do not receive medical care in time. The geographic characteristics and mountainous terrain of Kashmir render air transport a far more effective option than regular road transport,” he said.
Adding, getting the right patient to the right place at the right time is critical in increasing patients’ chances of survival.
He said researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine found increased rate of survival among those trauma patients who were rescued by chopper than those transported by ground ambulance.
He cited a study by Biewener et al in 2004 showed a 50% reduction in the mortality rate when patients were transported to a trauma center by a helicopter.
Trauma is the leading cause of death and disability in Kashmir, he said.
SMHS, which is the major referral center for trauma patients, has no helipad and though SKIMS hospital, has one, but because of no helicopter facility it is a waste of space.