World Head Injury Awareness Initiative by Fortis Hospital Mulund

Fortis Hospital, Mulundand Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi – A Fortis Network Hospital along with Traffic Department of Mumbai& Navi Mumbai organized an awareness initiative on the eve of World Head Injury Awareness Day, today. The initiative was designed to create public awareness about the road safety and usage of helmets while riding. Hon. Vijay Gaikwad, Sr. Police Inspector, Mulund, Traffic Dept.,Hon. Rajesh Babashetty, Senior Police Inspector,Vashi, Traffic Dept.&Hon. Dhananjay Mane, Sr. Assistant Police Inspector, Vashi, Traffic Dept.led the initiative where more than 100 helmets were distributed at major traffic junctions.

The day long initiative was conducted at Johnson & Johnson traffic signal in Mulund, Shivaji Maharaj Junction in Vashi and Palm Beach Road in Vashi. The Traffic police at these signals gave away helmets to those who were not wearing them and also penalized them for not adhering to traffic rules. With the growing number of road accidents in the country, the initiative was a major push to create awareness as well as educate public on how head injuries can be prevented by adopting safe riding practices. The use of seat belts as well as helmets plays a crucial role in preventing damage to the brain during accidents.

According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) , out of 4.96 lakh road accidents, a total of 1.77 lakh people lost their lives in 2015. In Maharashtra, a total of 18,404 persons (10.4%) lost their lives in 50,056 traffic accidents reported during this period. It is to be noted that 3,156; i.e. 11.5% of total deaths, were due to two wheeled vehicles. Experts argue that most of these tragedies could have been avoided with the use of helmets. According to reports  by MAIDS, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Sciences (NIMHANS) and All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), the risk of death is nearly 2.5 times more among riders without helmets and 40% of those killed and injured on Indian roads are motorcyclists. According to UN Motorcycle Helmet Study , motorcyclists are 26 times more likely to die in a road crash than drivers of passenger cars. Wearing an appropriate helmet improves their chances of survival by 42% and helps avoid 69% of injuries to riders.

This joint initiative by Fortis Hospital, Mulundand Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi – A Fortis Network Hospitalon World Head Injury Awareness Day raises awareness of the impact of having minor or major head injuries to the brain impacting quality of life of a person and therefore the need to adopt road safety practices.

Speaking about the initiative, Vijay Gaikwad, Sr. Police Inspector, Mulund, Traffic Dept.,said, “This joint initiative will refresh and reinforce the utility of wearing helmets and obeying traffic rules focus on importance of road safety practices. By abiding by this simple method, the road accidents can be reduced substantially”.

Speaking about the initiative, Rajesh Babashetty, Senior Police Inspector, Vashi Traffic Dept.,said, “This joint initiative will refresh and reinforce the utility of wearing helmets and obeying traffic rules focus on importance of road safety practices. By abiding by these simple method, the road accidents can be reduced substantially”

Doctor’s at both the hospital’s Emergency Rooms manage about 20-25 cases of Road Traffic Accidents, predominantly head injuries, every month.