Road mishaps: Dists directed to identify healthcare facilities to strengthen trauma care units

Kolkata: Taking a series of steps to further bring down the number of road accidents, the Bengal government has directed all its district authorities to identify healthcare establishments to strengthen trauma care facilities along the major thoroughfares across the state.

Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi gave the directions in a meeting on Road Safety and Prevention of Road accidents the day after 17 people were killed in a road accident at Hanskhali in Nadia. The state government has announced Rs 2 lakh compensation for each of the deceased.

Home Secretary BP Gopalika, Director General of Police Manoj Malaviya, Commissioner of Kolkata Police Soumen Mitra, ADG (Law and Order) Jawed Shamim, ADG traffic Ajoy Kumar, Transport Secretary Rajesh Sinha, all District Magistrates, superintendents of police (SPs), commissioners of all police commissionerates, sub-divisional officers and regional transport officers attended the virtual meeting.

Sources said that the directions have been given to identify the health care units along thoroughfares that can be developed as trauma care centres at the earliest. Beside the existing health infrastructures, DMs have been asked to identify places where separate trauma care centres can be developed.

SPs have been asked to prepare individual plan of action for their respective districts to check road accidents. The plan of action has to contain at least three proposed programmes or activities that would be taken up in the districts apart from holding Road Safety Weeks and other awareness campaigns. Directions have been given to intensify awareness campaigns as well. The proposals have to be sent to the ADG (Traffic), sources said.

It has also been decided that ADG (Traffic), Public Works Department's secretary, Transport secretary and secretary of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs department would hoold meet to identify and the infrastructural gaps to check road accidents. The blind spots on the new roads have to be identified and cops patrolling at night should keep a close vigil at the blind spots so that they can rush immediately in case of any emergency.