HCM CITY — The Ministry of Health is implementing a pilot project to establish and upgrade a network of first-aid clinics along four highways.

The project aims to provide timely aid to victims of traffic accidents in order to minimise fatalities.

The four highway sections selected for the project are: Ha Noi – Nghe An; Ha Noi – Hai Phong; HCM City – Can Tho and Dong Nai-Ba Ria Vung Tau.

The National Committee for Traffic Safety estimates that nearly 50,000 victims every year are in need of first aid and emergency medical assistance.

Between 11,000-12,000 fatalities are caused by traffic accidents per year, and the lack of immediate medical attention or wrong initial treatment is a major factor in the deaths.

Doctors have said that many lives can be saved if traffic accident victims were to get first aids like stopping bleeding or preventing shock.

The system of first – aid clinics along highways in the country is highly inadequate in terms of their number as well as availability of equipment and trained personnel.

Each clinic has just four to six staff members with low levels of knowledge and skills in providing emergency aid for accidents' victims.

Reports by local health departments reveal there are no first-aid clinics along new highways.

Grassroots

Although hospitals at grassroots level have mobile emergency teams, it often happens that victims' relatives and residents near the accident site do not know how to contact them.

According to the health ministry, developing first-aid clinics along highways will reduce the rate of fatalities due to traffic accidents by 10 per cent.

The ministry is planning to establish between 2015-20 a system of good and effective first-aid clinics capable of providing timely aid to accident victims. This project envisages a distance of 5-6 kilometers between first-aid clinics at a distance of around one kilometre from the highway.

However, there is some concern about finding adequate personnel for the first-aid clinics.

Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Health Management Department, said that it was not necessary to employ health personnel for the clinics.

It was important to provide timely and correct first aid, he said.

Thus, the clinics could employ collaborators like taxi or xe om (taxi motorbikes) drivers as well as residents in the area by providing them with the needed know-how, Khue added.

Moreover, the ministry would provide one ambulance to serve three first-aid clinics.

A provincial emergency centre would manage ambulances to reach accident spots within 10-15 minutes, provide first aid and transfer victims to nearby hospitals quickly.

Việt Nam News