In a race against time, Telangana targets 8-minute emergency response to cut road accident deaths

With road accidents claiming thousands of lives each year, Telangana is betting on speed as the difference-maker. Its newly unveiled Trauma Care Policy aims to bring down emergency response time to under 8–9 minutes, nearly halving the current 13–15 minute window.

The policy lays out a system-wide overhaul of trauma care, focusing on faster response, standardised treatment protocols and a four-tier network of trauma centres across the State. The policy aims to cut down the time by strengthening emergency response systems, mapping accident-prone black spots with inputs from the National Highways Authority of India (HAI) and police, and strategically placing trauma centres along high-risk corridors, said Director of Medical Education (DME) A. Narendra Kumar.