There is a need for a trauma centre for life-saving emergency care
In recent years, the Government of India and various stakeholders have been giving much-needed attention to strengthening Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) across the country, including Ladakh. This is undoubtedly a positive step for preventive and primary healthcare. But one cannot help but ask what is the purpose of strengthening HWCs if your own District Hospital is not capable of handling emergencies and critical cases?
Primary healthcare can only work effectively when there is a strong referral system. HWCs refer patients to higher facilities in emergencies, but if the district hospital itself is unequipped to save lives, then the entire system fails its purpose.
Whenever a critical situation arises, such as road traffic accidents, head injuries, or cardiac arrests, patients from Kargil are routinely referred to Srinagar, a journey of 6 to 8 hours. In most trauma cases, the “golden hour”, the first hour after injury, is the critical window where life-saving treatment is needed. Sadly, for the people of Kargil, this golden hour is lost not due to lack of efforts by the doctors but due to the absence of required facilities and specialists.
Just yesterday, a patient referred from a PHC to the District Hospital Kargil passed away while being transported to Srinagar. This is not the first such case, nor will it be the last unless action is taken. How long will we lose our people on the roads simply because in our own district, hospitals cannot provide such emergency care?
Why Kargil Needs A Trauma Centre Or An Upgraded District Hospital
Kargil’s tough terrain and remote location mean that access to tertiary care hospitals takes hours, sometimes longer in winter when roads close. With increasing traffic, particularly tourist vehicles, accidents are becoming more common. But without a trauma unit, many lives cannot be saved in time. Critical interventions in the first hour save lives. Delayed treatment results in preventable deaths. Kargil District Hospital lacks essential trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons, and critical care experts. No hospital can handle emergencies without such specialists.
Strengthening HWCs is essential, but if the next referral point, the district hospital, is weak, the whole system collapses. Primary care without secondary and tertiary support is like building a house without a roof.
What Needs To Be Done
A full-fledged trauma care unit with an ICU, ventilators, and surgical capacity. Immediate recruitment of specialists must be posted at the District Hospital, Kargil.
Emergency training for staff: Regular hands-on training for doctors, nurses, and paramedics in emergency and trauma care.
Strengthening ambulance services: Advanced life support ambulances and trained paramedics for stabilisation during transfers.
Conclusion: Emergency Care Is Not A Luxury, It’s A Right
While expanding HWCs is important, we must remember that primary healthcare is not an end in itself; it is a link in the chain. If the chain breaks at the district hospital level, all efforts at the primary level go in vain. The people of Kargil are not demanding super-speciality hospitals; they are simply asking for a district hospital that can save lives in an emergency. It’s time to act. It’s time to build a Trauma Centre and strengthen the District Hospital Kargil before we lose more lives to delays and distances.
The writer is a Medical Officer at the PHC Shargole
Dr Fazal Wani
wa*******@***il.com