Facilitators and barriers influencing the post-crash emergency care of road traffic injuries in district Aligarh of Uttar Pradesh

CONTEXT: Road traffic injuries (RTIs) will become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030. It is often possible to mitigate the consequences of serious injury if victims have access to prompt, effective pre-hospital care within minutes following the crash. AIMS: To find out the facilitators and barriers for providing post-crash emergency care in Road traffic injuries in district Aligarh. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The present study was undertaken on both the National highways (NH-91 and NH-93) and the bypass roads passing through district Aligarh of Uttar Pradesh. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: All the individuals who met road traffic accidents (RTA) between the earmarked areas from 1(st) October 2018 to 30(th) November 2020 and reported for treatment to the selected hospitals were included in the study. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Data is presented in the form of frequency tables and percentages. RESULTS: A total of 1126 patients were interviewed during the study period. Out of 1126, 937 (83.2%) were males, and 189 (16.8%) were females, with M:F ratio being 4.96:1. Six hundred sixty-two (58.8%) of the respondents identified the layperson or common man as the first person to respond at the time of the crash. 1110 (98.58%) respondents identified the layperson as the facilitator in providing post-crash emergency care, followed by police and roadside shopkeepers/dhabawalas. The role of the layperson in calling for help by utilizing the helpline numbers, suggesting a nearby health facility together with facilitating for transportation of the victim to the nearby health facility was appreciated by the majority of the respondents. An ambulance was the best available mode of transportation. Seven hundred thirty-three (65.10%) of the total respondents were aware of the toll-free number to be dialled in case of RTA. However, only 320 (43.70%) among them used this toll-free facility after meeting the crash. CONCLUSION: A layperson is the single most important facilitator for providing post-crash emergency care.