Scheme to save road accident victims launched

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, NOV. 27. A survey conducted by the police has shown that traffic congestion in the twin cities is perceived by a majority of respondents as the main problem because the management is ``not up to the mark'', according to the Home Minister, Mr. T. Devender Goud.

Launching a joint scheme of CDR Hospitals and the Hyderabad City Police to save accident victims by providing them medical care during the `Golden hour' here on Tuesday, Mr. Goud said one lakh vehicles were being added to the City annually without commensurate expansion in road network. Cautioning that the traffic situation would only worsen in the near future, he said the Government would come out with a systematic plan to tackle it.

Expressing concern over rising number of road accidents, he said 9,000 people were killed and 33,000 injured in these mishaps in Andhra Pradesh last year. In fact, there were more fatalities on the road than in a war.

The Home Minister said the Government's plans to create a highways authority had got snagged in bureaucratic hurdles since it involved the Roads & Buildings, Police and other departments. However, he would seek to overcome these hurdles and give proper shape to the proposed authority.

Noting that fear of facing legal hassles was the main deterrent for citizens in helping road accident victims, he said the City police was being instructed to avoid harassing good Samaritans by cutting down the legal procedures. He said he would call a meeting of insurance companies to provide funding for accident prevention measures as it would ultimately benefit them.

The City Police Commissioner, Mr. P. Ramulu, said proper training to traffic police and the Blue Colts had helped save lives of 19 accident victims, who would have succumbed had they were not transported to hospitals in time. He recalled that G. Rajaram, who was Finance Minister in the early eighties, died of injuries suffered in a road accident because he was not taken to hospital in time.

Mr. Justice P. Ramakrishnam Raju, Chairman, A.P. State Consumer Forum, presided over the meeting, while the chairman of CDR Hospitals, Dr. C. Dayakar Reddy, welcomed the gathering.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : MCH polls: BJP non-committal on alliance with TDP
Next     : Businessmen urged to obtain licences