MP Sanjeev Arora seeks Nitin Gadkari for emergency healthcare at all Toll plazas. Rajya Sabha MP from Ludhiana, Sanjeev Arora has made a formal plea to the Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, to establish emergency health care and trauma services at all toll plazas across the country.
Arora, in a letter highlighting the grim road accident statistics of 2022-more than 150,000 accidents leading to approximately 80,000 fatalities and more than 300,000 injuries-emphasized that road accidents continue to be the number one killer among young adults aged 15-34. He went on to point out the staggering economic toll-estimated at 3% of India’s GDP per year-and thus urged that now is the time for implementation of life-saving interventions.
Noting the increasing volume of traffic, Arora pressed for urgent need for rapid and efficient medical response systems to save lives of road users. He urged the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways to join hands with the MoH&FW in ensuring that emergency healthcare and trauma services are available uninterruptedly in every toll plaza of the country.
Arora advocated that ambulances deployed should be equipped with the latest in medical technology and carry a crew capable of tackling near life-threatening emergencies. He further clarified that tie-ups with local hospitals were required to get trauma care facilities so that accident victims would not only reach the hospital in quick time but also receive specialized medical treatment.
While appreciating the recent steps taken by MoRTH, such as the Good Samaritan policy, Road Safety Week, and the establishment of the Road Safety Engineering Cell, Arora said providing strong emergency healthcare services at the toll plaza itself would take road safety to a new high. It would greatly reduce deaths and thereby minimize the horrific consequences of road traffic accidents.
He finally appealed to Gadkari to give due consideration to these proposals, contending that providing holistic emergency healthcare services at the toll plaza itself would be a giant leap toward saving the lives of millions crossing through the Indian highways.