Letter: NHA should be Responsible for Trauma Centers on Highways

Balochistan is home to four main highways that connect Quetta with other provinces of Pakistan and also with Iran and Afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands of passengers travel on these highways on daily basis. It would be nothing less than a shock to know that there is not a single trauma center on any of the highways of Balochistan.

All highway of the Balochistan are two lane roads without any dividers between the lanes. This makes the driving very dangerous and prone to accidents. As a result, deadly accidents take place on regular basis. Chances of survival of passengers in highway accidents are very low due to non-availability of life saving medical services. Even victims of minor accidents suffer disabilities for lifetime due to delay in receiving first aid treatment after accidents on highways.

Essentially, NHA should be responsible for any death caused on Highways due to delay in medical treatment. It’s the duty of National Highway Authority (NHA) to ensure that life saving medical services are available on highways in the form of trauma centers. NHA should monitor the trauma centers once they have been established. Similarly, NHA should also install signs at all dangerous curves and turns on highways. These steps should be taken on war footings by NHA.

In that context, NHA along with provincial government of Balochistan should establish trauma centers on highways of Balochistan on emergency basis to prevent further loss of precious lives. If NHA did not take action on this grave issue then citizens of Balochistan reserve the right to vigorously protest against NHA and the concerned authorities.

Sami Zarkoon – Quetta

Published in Balochistan Point on February 1, 2016

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this letter are those of the author and The Balochistan Point not necessarily agrees with them.