Jharkhand witnessed a significant surge in road accident cases on New Year's Eve, as reported by the state's key emergency medical services. The state government-run 108 ambulance service and the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) both recorded a higher number of incidents compared to usual days, primarily attributed to drunk and rash driving.
Ambulance Service Inundated with Emergency Calls
The 108 ambulance service, a critical lifeline across the state, was exceptionally busy on Wednesday, December 31st. Its control room was flooded with a total of 12,567 calls for various health emergencies throughout the day. A substantial portion of these were related to road mishaps.
Sumit Basu, President of the Samman Foundation which manages the ambulance operations, provided a detailed breakdown. He stated that out of the total calls, 1,356 were service calls, meaning ambulances were physically deployed to either transport patients between hospitals or pick them up from accident sites and other locations.
Sharp Rise in Accident Reports
The most alarming data point was the number of calls specifically reporting road accidents. The service received 345 calls related to road accidents across Jharkhand on New Year's Eve. Basu confirmed that while they do not yet have consolidated data for 2024, the number reported a sharp increase from the daily average.
"On average, we get 175 calls reporting road accident cases every day," Basu said, highlighting that the New Year's Eve figure was nearly double the norm. He attributed the accidents to factors like drunk driving, rash driving, and speeding. Fortunately, no fatalities were reported through their service on that day.
RIMS Trauma Centre Confirms Upward Trend
The trend was mirrored at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), the largest state-run medical college hospital in Jharkhand. The hospital's trauma and emergency centre was active, attending to 62 emergency cases in the 24-hour period spanning New Year's Eve.
Dr. Pradip Kumar Bhattacharya, in-charge of trauma and emergency services at RIMS, confirmed on Thursday that most of these cases were a direct result of road accidents caused by drunk and rash driving. He provided a comparative perspective, noting that the caseload represented an increase over the previous year.
"The number of cases is at least 10% higher than what was reported last year," Dr. Bhattacharya stated, underscoring the growing concern around road safety during festive celebrations.
Key Takeaways and Implications
The reports from both institutions paint a clear picture of the dangers associated with year-end celebrations on the roads. The simultaneous data from the ambulance service and the premier hospital reinforces the severity of the issue.
The primary causes identified were consistent:
- Drunk driving
- Rash and negligent driving
- Speeding of vehicles
While the absence of reported deaths is a positive outcome, the sharp spike in accidents indicates a critical need for heightened public awareness and stricter enforcement of traffic rules during such periods. The incident serves as a stark reminder for revellers to prioritise safety and designate sober drivers.
