Donning A New Mantle

Dr Bipin Pandit has recently assumed the position of the President of the Association of Medical Consultants (AMC), an apex body of 5, 500 medical consultants from different specialities. A gynaecologist by profession, Dr Pandit took the reins from Dr Suresh Rao. This is his second term; the earlier was in 2003.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has always been a thrust area for Dr Pandit and that is exactly what he would focus on during his one-year tenure. Disturbed by 3000 railway accidents in Mumbai every year, AMC along with Dr Sarosh Mehta filed a petition for safety and security of railway accident victims, four years back. Dr Pandit wants to take this initiative further. "We are asking for prompt transport and treatment, which will decrease morbidity and mortality of these hapless victims," says Dr Pandit. "There is no protocol in place for the first aid, proper transport, emergency treatment of these victims and no trained personnel to carry out the protocol. Over 88 per cent of the commuters in Mumbai travel by suburban trains or BEST buses. Mumbai's suburban rail system carries about 64 lakh passengers per day. There are many accidents on our rails and even deaths, many of these preventable," says Dr Pandit.

AMC plans to train station master and railway staff, the police and fire department and home guards in first aid and CPR. "We plan to have a panel of doctors on call near each railway station. We are thinking of proposing a scheme, where railways will collect a miniscule amount from each ticket holder towards accident insurance premium and the money for the emergency treatment will come from this," says Dr Pandit

He also wishes to take up the cause of road traffic accident victims. "Accelerated urbanisation and industrialisation have led to an alarming increase in the rate of accidental injuries, crime and violence in India. An unprecedented increase in the number of vehicles has outpaced the development of adequate roads and highways," he says. India has one per cent of the motor vehicles in the world, but bears the burden of six per cent of the global vehicular accidents. There were 88,000 deaths on Indian roads in 2002-2003. “Every 12 minute one Indian dies on the roads and 10 times that number get injured. Of the injured, seven to 10 per cent are critically injured, 20 to 30 per cent are seriously injured and of these, about 30 per cent will be disabled for life, either partially or totally. Rs 75,000 crore or three per cent of our GDP is spent on accidents in India,” he informs.

He also wants to revive the Forum of Medical Association (FOMA), which was formed as a single apex association representing medical associations like General Practitioners Association (GPA), Indian Medical Association (IMA), AMC, Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) and Mumbai Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society (MOGS) to unify and prevent duplication of work. "Once revived, FOMA can act as a big platform for our united voice," says Dr Pandit.