Simple interventions like helmet usage, seatbelt compliance, installing good quality airbags in vehicles, protective balcony features to safeguard kids from falling can go a long way in cutting down traumatic brain injuries which at present is taking a fatal toll on 2 lakh lives while requiring nearly 10 lakh people to undergo rehabilitation services in India, country’s top neurosurgeons said.
“Wearing helmets while riding or pillion riding, using seat belts in front and rear seats and high quality airbags in vehicles can help the driver and occupants tremendously,” Dr Daljit Singh, Neurosurgeon, Head of Department at the Super Specialty hospital, GB Pant Hospital, Delhi said on the occasion of the World Head Injury Awareness Day on March 20, 2024.
He stressed that despite cautious driving, the unpredictable nature of speeding vehicles poses a constant threat, making protective gear essential for all road users.
Dr Krish Sridhar, Professor Neurosurgery, Kauvery Hospital, Radial Road, Chennai, echoed similar concerns and suggestions while driving even as Dr Deepak Gupta, neurosurgeon from AIIMS, Delhi drew attention to the alarming rate of children sustaining brain injury from balcony falls, underscoring the urgency of implementing protective measures in residential areas.
A recent report by AIIMS Trauma Centre, Delhi too has revealed that 74 kids were brought to the hospital between October 2022 and April 2023 who had fallen from a balcony and suffered severe brain injury. Falls from balconies constituted 60% of all cases of children falling from a height, requiring hospital attention.
Dr Roopesh Kumar, a consultant neurosurgeons called upon women riding two-wheelers as well as pillion riders to strictly ensure wearing helmets for their safety. The experts stated that head injuries disproportionately affect the economically deprived, younger population (ages 20–45 years), and carry a heavy economic burden due to lost productive days. A qualitative study performed in 2021 identified several factors that contributed to the large burden of road traffic related TBI—namely, the lack of public awareness about road safety, limited helmet use, motorway infrastructure, minimal law enforcement, unavailability of pre-hospital care, and inadequate neurosurgical capacity in hospitals.
These incidents can be avoided if people adopt simple preventive strategies like wearing seatbelts and helmets respectively while using a car or two wheelers, said Dr Manjul Tripathi, neurosurgeon from PGIMER, Chandigarh.
Adding to the discussion, Dr. Manjul Tripathi, a prominent neurosurgeon from PGIMER, Chandigarh, highlighted the multifaceted nature of the problem, citing factors such as limited public awareness, inadequate infrastructure, and enforcement of safety regulations. He also stressed that the adoption of simple preventive measures, such as seatbelt and helmet usage, could substantially reduce the incidence of road traffic-related TBIs and their associated economic burdens.