Keeping in mind the last year’s surge in influx of patients on Holi, the AIIMS Trauma Centre has extended the emergency reception area and deployed more staff. last year, the trauma centre witnessed more than two-fold jump in the number of patients coming to AIIMS with various injuries. A process of colour-coded triage will determine priority of patient treatments based on the severity of condition.
“On an average, the AIIMS Trauma Centre gets 125 patients every day which increased to 400 patients during Holi last year,” said Dr Amit Gupta, additional professor, Department of Surgery, AIIMS Trauma Centre.
Dr Gupta said that the centre receives many patients with injuries of eyes and skin due to the effects of colour. “Then there are road traffic injury cases due to heavy intake of alcohol. Alcohol intake also leads to an increase in the number of assault cases. We also get many stabbing cases,” said Dr Gupta.
As part of its preparedness, the emergency at AIIMS has been divided into three priority areas - red, yellow and green. Majority of the patients who are walking wounded and mostly brought by the police are taken to the green zone.
Critically injured and patients with life-threatening injuries are transferred to the red zone and those with significant injuries needing admission but not life-threatening are shifted to the yellow zone, said Dr Gupta.
This apart, more staff has been deployed in the morning and evening shifts to handle the surge.