2019 World Trauma Day: Here's what you can do to help a person in need

October 17 is marked as Trauma Day globally. Every day more than 400 people die in road accidents in India on average. Many of these deaths can be prevented if the victim gets immediate first-aid. The World Health Organisation reveals that trauma is a major cause of death and disability across the world. World Trauma Day is marked to emphasise the importance of saving and protecting life during the most difficult moments. Trauma refers to any kind of injury to the body. The reason behind the injury could vary ranging from road accidents, violence and other hate crimes. WHO reveals that the data shows that road accidents are the main cause of death among children and young adults aged between 5-29 globally.

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NCRB data showed the total number of accidents grew up  in 2015

According to the National Crime Bureau Record (NCRB) data, nearly 1.5 lakh Indians died in road accidents in India in 2015. The NCRB data showed that the total number of accidents grew by over 3%  to 4,64,674 in 2015. On the other hand, the road accident deaths rose 5.1% from 1,41,526 in 2014 to 1,48,707 in 2015. The research has shown that at least 50% of road deaths that happen in developing countries could have been prevented with effective interference after a trauma has occurred. This could be prevented by immediate pre-medical care, sufficient knowledge of handling emergency situations and adequate supplies of pre-hospital equipment and facilities, for example, enough ambulance and medical supplies.

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Steps to help road accident victims

Here’s how you can assist if you witness a road accident:

1.If you’re driving and see an accident stay calm and park on the side of the road. Use your car to shield the victim from oncoming traffic and turn your emergency lights on
2.Assess the situation, check for the number of victims, the nature of their injuries, then call the police and ambulance services
If the victim is unconscious but is otherwise okay, the United Nation’s (UK) National Health Service recommends putting them in the recovery position (lying on one side, with mouth slightly open)
3. If you have any reason to suspect that the victim might have a spinal injury, do not attempt to move them. Instead, check whether they’re breathing, and if not, open their mouth slightly and gently to see if there is any obvious obstruction you can easily remove to help them breathe
4. If the victim is bleeding, make sure there’s nothing in their wounds before using a clean cloth to apply pressure on it. If there is something, avoid the entry site and apply pressure around it to reduce the bleeding
5. Do not give water to an unconscious or semi-conscious victim of a road accident

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(With inputs from Agencies)