India Ramps Up Road Safety with NHAI-Amrita Hospital Partnership

India's NHAI and Amrita Hospital have partnered to enhance emergency response on highways. The collaboration aims to train ambulance and police personnel, crucial to reducing road fatalities as part of India's Stockholm Declaration goal. This initiative establishes a foundation for ongoing nationwide safety measures.

With India's alarming road fatality rates reaching a global peak in 2023, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has joined forces with Amrita Hospital. This new collaboration aims to bolster the emergency response system, according to a hospital representative.

Launched on Monday, the initiative named 'Sar Salamat toh Ghar Salamat' strides towards a long-term goal of training thousands of NHAI ambulance personnel, private operators, and Haryana Police on highway emergency responses. Dr. Gaurav Kakkar, a Senior Consultant at Amrita Hospital, facilitated the first training session for over 150 ambulance personnel, highlighting that this is just the beginning of a series of regular sessions intended to create a robust emergency response network nationwide.

This partnership is a critical step towards India's goal of reducing road fatalities by 50% by 2030, fulfilling commitments under the Stockholm Declaration, officials stated. With roads accounting for over a third of road accidents, the government's strategic 4E approach—Education, Engineering, Enforcement, and Emergency Care—remains central to making roads safer, said Ajay Tamta, Minister of State, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

(With inputs from agencies.)