PHF in the News

Patiala Health Foundation Launches Ambulance

Patiala Health Foundation Launches SevaMobile Trauma Initiative
Organization focuses on ways to combat traffic and provide critical and emergency trauma care to those in need

by Press Release

(Weirton, WV / Patiala Punjab India) - July 13, 2009

The Patiala Health Foundation, a registered 501-C3 non-profit based in the United States, has started its second phase of providing critical health care services to those in need. Today the organization is announcing the launch of three 'SevaMobiles', or charity vehicles, that will bring trauma care to injured people instead of waiting for them to get to hospitals.

The SevaMobile Initiative is a major innovation in Indian healthcare because it will shorten the time from emergency call to treatment by 50 percent. For many, these precious minutes can be the difference between life and death. Traffic in major metropolitan areas is a two-pronged danger in India. Firstly, many trauma deaths are caused by automobile accidents and secondly, the traffic itself slows down the ability for care professionals to reach victims and transport them to hospitals.

Trauma-related deaths occur every 1.9 minutes in India, according to a 2004 report in the Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine. With traffic increasing, trauma will move from its current ninth position to become India's third leading cause of death by 2020. The 10 percent increase in deaths from injuries in Punjab between 1983 and 1992 demonstrates the urgent need for trauma facilities in the region.

The SevaMobile Initiative will consist of a fully functional mobile trauma unit that also provides emergency critical care on site. In addition to this ambulance, two SevaMobile motorcycles will also be able to navigate through traffic and narrow roads to provide first response immediate care and stabilization. This first level of care will allow for victims to be quickly treated while more comprehensive care, via an ambulance, is on its way. The service will be offered free to those who cannot afford medical services and will be funded by the Patiala Health Foundation.

"In our analysis of urban healthcare, we found that there were many efforts underway to build new structures and hospitals, but there was still a real need to reach victims faster," said Patiala Health Foundation's Dr. Amrik S. Chattha. "We believe the SevaMobile Initiative will be a major innovation, impacting the lives of people by treating them quickly and more efficiently. We also believe that pre-hospital care, such as that offered by the SevaMobile, should be a right to all injured victims."

The organization is currently planning to partner with public and private hospitals in the area to transport patients to larger treatments centers. Patients who cannot afford the medical fees will be treated free of charge courtesy of the Patiala Health Foundation. Those who can afford the service will pay for their care, enabling the program to partially fund itself, while also creating a longer sustainability of operations.

"We want to help those in need, but also build a system that supports itself," noted Dr. Harish Sood, another Patiala Health Foundation board member who is spearheading the SevaMobile effort on the ground in India with a collection of local trustees. Additionally, fifteen retired alumni of Patiala Medical College are volunteering their services and time to assist with the project.

SevaMobile is planning to commence operations this winter. The project is funded by the Patiala Health Foundation whose funds have been raised by Indian-Americans across the United States through six benefit events in Ohio, California, North Carolina, New York and, most recently, Virginia. The organization is also actively looking for additional donors, corporate partners and grant giving organizations interested in improving health care for low-income citizens within India.

For more information on the Patiala Health Foundation please contact:

Patiala Health Foundation at 304-723-4151 or amrikchattha@yahoo.com.

NRI Alumni May Review Trauma Centre Project

Jangveer Singh
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 4

It seems even alumni of the Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital are losing faith in the Punjab government’s promise to bring the hospital back to its former glory. An NGO, comprising mainly NRI alumni, is in the process of rethinking the prestigious trauma care centre project, for which it has been earmarked land on the hospital premises.

The NGO, also named Trauma Care Centre (TCA), may dump plans to establish an ultra-modern centre on one acre on the hospital campus. The project has been a non-starter despite the land having been earmarked for it two years ago.

An eminent internist and Director of a New York-based hospital, Dr Harish Sood, who is arriving in India next week, will hold a meeting of the NGO to decide whether it can go in for a much smaller but independent mobile trauma centre so that road accident cases in the Malwa region can get advance medical attention immediately.

The meeting, which is likely to be held on February 14, is being held after a visit by eminent nuerologist and US-based Patiala Health Foundation Incorporated chairman, Dr AS Chatha, to Punjab in December last year to try to get possession of the one-acre piece of land earmarked for the centre. The doctor met the state Chief Secretary with a delegation in this regard.

TCA chairman and secretary Ravinder Singh, who recently retired as Vice-Chancellor of the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, told The Tribune that despite efforts by NRI alumni, the NGO was yet to get vacant possession of the piece of land. “Neither is the government demolishing the four dilapidated rooms built on the land nor it is shifting transformers due to which work on the project has been on a standstill since two years,” he said.

The trauma centre, which was conceived by alumni of the college in 1999, had made headway during the regime of Amarinder, who had agreed to lease one acre to it besides announcing Rs 1-crore grant for the project. The foundation stone of the centre was laid in 2006 after its location had been changed and objections to why the NGO was being given lease of government land settled. The grant was received during the Amarinder regime under a development scheme.

Secretary (Medical Education) Rakesh Singh said: “There was a slowdown of project process earlier, but after Dr Chatha’s meeting with the Chief Secretary, clearances were only a matter of processing time”. He said the NGO had been asked to submit its annual audited accounts for the past few years, which it had done. “The NGO has also agreed to bear the cost of shifting of utility services from the land earmarked for the project,” he added.

Dr. Amrik S. Chattha Recent vist to Punjab

Box 17E Barton Drive
Weirton, WV 26062
USA

RE: Trauma Center Progress

Dear Patiala Health Foundation Donors,

Happy holidays and best wishes for a healthy and prosperous new year! I recently returned from a busy and productive visit to Punjab and wish to update you on the progress of the trauma center. I attended the Chandigarh GOMCO meeting and had a productive meeting with Dr. Ravinder Singh, Chairman of GOMCO, Patiala as well as, Dr. Sidhu, Professor of Orthopedics. I also had the opportunity to speak with physicians who own hospitals and medical and dental colleges. Further meetings included senior alumni and retired physicians. Later, I also spoke with bureaucrats. Finally, I visited the site of the land granted for the purposes of building the trauma center.

After careful discussions and deliberation, it is the consensus opinion that we proceed with a well-equipped mobile trauma unit providing on site trauma care Level 3 and Level 4. Subsequent referral would occur to an appropriate facility such as Rajindra Hospital. Construction of a trauma center facility will be deferred for the present time. For the time being, we can achieve our objectives with a mobile unit and upgrading the existing facilities at Rajindra Hospital. The government will have minimal involvement. On January 2, 2009 we meet with a company that designs ambulances of varying size and capability. This will be within our current financial abilities.

Management of the mobile unit will be the next step. We can utilize the services of existing faculty of the medical college, competent retired physicians, and participation of the preexisting NGO for charity at Patiala.

I would appreciate your feedback before we proceed.

Sincerest regards,

Amrik S. Chattha

Advance trauma centre for Patiala planned

Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 9, 2005
There is a plan to have an advance trauma care centre (ATCC) on the premises of the local Rajindra Medical College, which is in bad shape otherwise and has been facing acute
shortage of staff.

If all goes well, the local medical college will have the ATCC, first of its kind in the country, after two years. The ATCC will come up without any financial support from the state
government as the Gomco Alumni Association will arrange about Rs 50 crore needed for it.

Dr Ravinder Singh, Chairman, Gomco Alumni Association and Vice-Chancellor, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, today said that the ATCC, which would have around 70 to 80 bed capacity, would be first of its kind in the country.

He added that discussions in connection with the setting up of the project had been going on since 1998. The final shape to the project was given when the state government agreed
to allot one acre of land situated on the premises of Rajindra Medical College on lease to Gomco for setting the same. He said the Gomco Alumni Association and Patiala Health
Foundation Inc. USA approached the state government for the allotment of land in the past.

He said a memorandum of understanding (MOU) would be signed by the state government with these two organisations shortly. The ground-breaking ceremony of the ATCC would

take place on December 17. Five alumni of the medical college were expected to participate in the function, which was likely to be presided over by the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder
Singh.

The centre would be equipped with the most modern diagnostic and state-of-art medical equipment and manned by expert professionals in all appropriate fields. A large number of
patients belonging to Patiala and the surrounding areas would be benefited from this project. The ATCC would be run by a committee to be set up by the Gomco Alumni Association and
Patiala Health Foundation. The committee would also manage the finances of the ATCC.

The Deputy Commissioner of Patiala, Principal and Medical Superintendent of the local medical college would also be taken as its members.

The funds for the centre would be arranged by the members of the alumni and Patiala Health Foundation.

Advanced trauma centre to be set up in Rajindra Hospital

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 16
The Punjab Government, GOMCO Alumni Association and the Patiala Health Foundation USA have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to set up a trauma care centre in Patiala.

Stating this here today, a spokesman of the government said the agreement mainly aimed at setting up of an Advanced Trauma Care Centre on the premises of the Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital to cater to the needs of the people of Patiala and surrounding areas.

The GOMCO Alumni Association Patiala and Patiala Health Foundation USA have both approached the Punjab Government for allocation of 4698.82 sq. yds. of land on lease within the premises of the medical college here.

Giving details of the agreement, the spokesman said GOMCO and Patiala Health Foundation USA would on their own invest a minimum of Rs 6 crore or more on the construction and for providing equipment for the trauma centre in a phased manner within two years of the date of signing of this agreement.

Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab, during her resent visit to the USA had envisaged the setting up of this advanced institute.

Capt. Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, Punjab, would lay the foundation stone of the trauma centre.

Indian-American physicians battle third leading cause of death in India

Weirton, WV
WebWire
12/1/2005

Patiala Health Foundation looks to provide trauma care, raises $41,000 in first fundraiser

The Patiala Health Foundation hosted its first fundraiser in November, raising $41,000 to build a trauma center in Patiala, Punjab, India. The event brought together members of the West Virginia and Ohio South Asian communities, as well as business and medical professionals.

Trauma-related deaths occur every 1.9 minutes in India, according to a 2004 report in the Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine. With traffic increasing, trauma will move from its current ninth position to become India’s third leading cause of death by 2020. The 10% increase in deaths from injuries in Punjab between 1983 and 1992 demonstrates the urgent need for trauma facilities in the region.

The event was organized by a group of local non resident Indian (NRI) physicians, including Amrik and Jaswinder Chattha, Brijinder and Manorama Kochhar, Prahbjhot and Sheena Deol, and Charan and Surinder Nandra. Although this was the foundation’s first fundraiser, its organizers have a strong record of philanthropic work, such as building South Asian temples, and supporting study chairs and galleries across the United States, including the Sikh Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Building the trauma center is also a major objective of Patiala Medical College alumni, which include 200 NRI doctors who currently live in the United States. About 100 other NRI physicians are spread across Canada, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and Australia.

“We hope that this fundraiser helped bring awareness of the fact that the pace of industrialization and urbanization in many fast developing countries like India is not being matched by fully equipped health care facilities,” said Dr. Brijinder Singh Kochhar.

Event organizer Dr. Prabhjot S. Deol also noted that “no reliable institutional arrangement exists in India to establish an efficient trauma care system. For now, trauma systems are predominantly supported by non-governmental organizations and private agencies like the Patiala Health Foundation. We must all do our part to give back.”

MOU between GOMCO Alumni and PHF