One per cent of India’s GDP, about Rs. 3,500 crore, is spent every year rehabilitating head trauma victims, K. Ganapathy, neurosurgeon, and former president of Neurological Society of India, said.
While speaking at the road safety awareness campaign held at Stella Maris College here on Tuesday, Dr. Ganapathy said, “Every three minutes, there is an accident; by the time this session is over, about 20 people may die and 250 people would be severely disabled in accidents because they did not wear a helmet.”
Dr. Ganapathy recounted an incident when a class XII student lost his life in an accident as he didn’t wear a helmet. “We contribute about 11 per cent to the total number of head trauma accidents and it is even found that only 37 per cent of doctors always wear a helmet,” he added.
Nicola Watkinson, Minister Commercial and Senior Trade Commissioner— South Asia, Australian Trade Commission, said there is a need to bring in a safer traffic environment to reduce accidents and deaths.
“About three million cars and 10 million two-wheelers have entered the city’s roads leading to a heightened likelihood of accidents. We need to take collective action to prevent them,” she said.
