Crazy Idea

Letter to the editor, Morung Express, on Trauma Center at Pfutsero

It appeared in your paper today that a trauma center has been inaugurated at Pfutsero. It’s a matter of pride for the people of Pfutsero, being one of the only two places in Nagaland, to have such a center. But I want to put up my reasons for reservation to celebrate though I am from Pfutsero. Sir, AIIMS, the premiere institute of the country had a trauma center just last year after waiting for 22 years. So I wonder if we are in the position to have one and doubt if we understand what a trauma center is.

At Pfutsero, we have a Community Health Center (CHC) which is no better than a Primary Health Center. A CHC is supposed to have specialists in surgery, medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatrics with X-ray and laboratory facilities. We are way, way behind to achieving that. And even if we have half the required standard, the CHC should be fairly OK in handling trauma considering present situation. How many vehicular accidents do we have? Or how many people cut their hands in the jungle or fall from stairs compared to those who have cough and fever, diarrhea, diabetes, malaria, TB, Typhoid, hypertension etc. How can a trauma center give better care to these traumas that the CHC can’t? Is the CHC overburdened that such a center is required? There’s no Naga Neurosurgeon yet. And how is a trauma center different from a general hospital without a Neurosurgeon? (Again how is a Neurosurgeon better than a general surgeon without CT scan, MRI, and an operational OT?). Telemedicine is almost useless in traumas which usually require emergency care. I have worked in Neurosurgery and Orthopedics which take care of traumas. Trauma patients are tossed between trauma center and general hospitals because they require multi-specialty care. It is a crazy idea to have a trauma center (be it Level IV or III) without a pre-existing functional general hospital.