Only a small number of traffic accident victims are provided with timely first aid, leading to high rates of fatality, a recent report said.
Traffic fatalities heightened due to lack of first aid
The report was announced at an international meeting on November 22 in Hanoi on traffic safety. The gathering was organised by Vietnam’s National Traffic Safety Committee and the World Bank, along with with the participation of over 500 domestic and international attendants.
According to the report, people still neglect the basic steps to care for injured people prior to hospitalisation.
The report cited research done by the Viet Duc Hospital in Hanoi on over 324 medical records from 1990 to 2002, which indicate that only 5%-10% of patients were provided with first aid.
Half of those who did receive first aid got substandard quality care.
Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the committee’s chairman, said it is important to gather information from domestic and international sources as reference for the Government to work out more effective policies on traffic safety in the long-term.
Recently medical experts said many hospitals in Vietnam still do not provide first aid or have substandard facilities.
A survey in HCM City, by doctor Le Thanh Chien from Trung Vuong First Aid Hospital, showed that only 16% of people questioned were aware that first aid could be provided outside hospitals and just 32% were aware of calling 115 for first aid.
Notably, only 57% of medical staff who were asked knew about the 115 service, while 81% of surveyed people said first aid was of great importance.
Dr. Nguyen Dat Anh, from the Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital, said up to 71.7% of hospitals nationwide do not provide first aid due to a lack of facilities, human resources, and expertise. Some even said that it was unnecessary.
