Across India, road crashes claim over 450 lives each day. A significant number of these victims sustain severe injuries to the chest. In many instances, death does not occur because patients fail to reach a hospital in time, but because specialist expertise is unavailable during the crucial early moments of care.
Doctors working in primary and secondary hospitals often struggle while handling such emergencies without guidance from thoracic experts, losing precious time that can determine survival. To address this problem, Medanta—one of the country’s largest private multi-specialty tertiary care hospital networks in North and East India—has started a dedicated 24-hour Chest Trauma Support Service. The initiative enables doctors at frontline healthcare centres to immediately consult Medanta specialists regarding imaging reports, patient condition, and treatment planning. The service, headed by Dr. Arvind Kumar, Chairman of the Institute of Chest Surgery, is being offered free of charge.
Dr. Naresh Trehan, Chairman and Managing Director of Medanta, stated that the hospital houses one of India’s most advanced and comprehensive chest surgery institutes. He added that the new program allows smaller hospitals to draw on the experience of Medanta’s expert surgeons, reflecting the institution’s guiding principle, “Har Ek Jaan Anmol,” or “Every life is invaluable.”
The helpline will operate continuously and will be supervised by experienced consultants from Medanta’s chest surgery department so that expert advice is always available. Initially, the program will serve healthcare providers in Haryana, Punjab, and western Uttar Pradesh, with plans for further geographic expansion.
Traffic accidents remain among the leading causes of death for Indians between 15 and 45 years of age. Chest injuries represent roughly 10–15 percent of trauma admissions in hospitals and may rise to nearly 70 percent in cases involving multiple injuries. Treatment is complex because many vital organs—the lungs, heart, trachea, oesophagus, and major blood vessels—are located within the chest cavity. Outside major cities, the limited number of specialised thoracic trauma centres and trained professionals often leads to delays and preventable complications.
Commenting on the program, Dr. Arvind Kumar noted that although many chest trauma patients can be treated without surgery, delays in necessary operations can significantly increase complications. He said the initiative demonstrates Medanta’s effort to improve survival and recovery for patients with serious chest injuries while supporting frontline physicians.
Through the service, Medanta will also guide healthcare providers on proper chest tube insertion techniques to minimise complications and ensure timely treatment. Patients requiring advanced interventions can be transferred to Medanta facilities under supervised and coordinated arrangements for safe and efficient care.
The hospital additionally plans to organise training sessions, webinars, and workshops for doctors. A dedicated chest trauma registry will also be established to systematically record injury patterns, treatment methods, and patient outcomes, helping improve clinical standards, research, and policy planning, and strengthening trauma care systems across the country.
(Photo courtesy: facebook/medanta)