GUNTUR, OCTOBER 17, 2026: On the occasion of World Trauma Day (October 17, 2026), the Directorate of Medical Education (DME), Government of Andhra Pradesh, organised awareness and training programmes at Government General Hospitals (GGHs) across the state. These included Guntur, Ongole, Kurnool, Kadapa and Pulivendula [add all the districts], in association with the 108 Emergency Ambulance Service (BAVYA).
With the encouragement of Dr. Vishnu Vardhan, Director of Medical Education, and the support of Dr. Sumita Shankar, State Nodal Officer for Trauma and Burns, every district government hospital will now receive a pre-hospital notification (alert) from the 108 ambulance before the patient arrives. This lets the Emergency Department prepare its team, resources and space in advance, so that treatment can start the moment the patient reaches the hospital.
To mark the day, around 15 to 20 EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) from 108 ambulances, along with triage nurses, were trained at the participating hospitals on:
- Triage of trauma patients
- Sending pre-hospital alerts to the receiving hospital
- Coordination between the ambulance crew and the Emergency Department
Doctors, postgraduates, nursing staff and hospital administrators also took part. Banners were displayed at the casualty and hospital entrances carrying the key public messages:
- Call 108 at once in any medical emergency
- Stay with the injured until help arrives
- Save lives in the Golden Hour
- The hospital is ready before you arrive
Timely transport, correct triage, and advance alerts together reduce delay to definitive care and improve survival and recovery after road traffic accidents, burns and other trauma. The training will continue in further batches so that all districts are covered.
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