India, Oct. 1 -- A new primer on pre-hospital emergency care has underlined persistent gaps in India's trauma response system despite nationwide infrastructure rollouts. Published by Crashfree India, the report examines the functioning of ERSS-112, the national emergency number, and compares India's outcomes with global benchmarks, while drawing attention to regional innovations and systemic challenges.

Scale of the problemIn 2023, India recorded more than 4.8 lakh road accidents and nearly 1.73 lakh fatalities. According to recent studies, close to 30% of trauma victims die before reaching hospital care. The primer notes that response delays remain critical, particularly along national highways where ambulances often take between 25 and...