The Emergency specialist team from Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, Chennai set off on a car rally to create awareness on the importance of “Road Safety” on the occasion of National Road Safety Month. Participants highlighted the importance of following road safety norms in places through which the rally passed and also conducted workshops with first response tips. The car rally was flagged off by Dr. Rahul Menon, COO, Apollo Hospitals, OMR, Dr. Santy Sajan, COO, Apollo Hospitals, Greams Road, Mr Arup Sinha, Executive Director, IOCL, Southern Region, Dr. Pradeep, Chief Medical Officer of Mahindra & Mahindra, from Apollo Hospitals Greams Road.
To spread awareness on road safety among the people and to reduce road accidents in Tamil Nadu, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai has organized a four-day long campaign on National Road Safety. This awareness programme is aimed at sensitizing people across Tamil Nadu on various road safety principles to follow, in order to avoid fatal incidents while using roads – including avoiding rash driving, not drinking and driving, using helmet/ seatbelt, avoiding fatigued driving, avoiding cell phones while driving and following rules while crossing roads.
The members of the rally took the safety pledge and drove to Kanyakumari from Chennai. The five car convoy along with an ambulance started on 1st February 2021, will reach Kanyakumari and will be culminating on 4th February 2021 at Chennai.
Speaking during the event Dr. Dhavapalani, Head Emergency, Apollo Hospitals and the lead of the convoy said, “India has the dubious distinction of leading the world in terms of deaths due to road accidents. To make this statement worse, most of the deaths occur among young individuals. One good about this massive problem is that it is very much preventable. Creating awareness on wearing a helmet, wearing seatbelts and adhering to the road safety rules will save many more lives than what the medical fraternity can achieve. It is inexpensive and it prevents deaths. Let us commit to road safety.”
The rally will impart public awareness, especially at RTO’s and offices of Superintendent of Police across the state, provide hands on training on Basic Life Support & First Aid and distribute leaflets at 49 identified Toll Plazas enroute. With the support of the Police Department and Lions Club International and other NGOs, Road Safety Awareness leaflets were distributed at 30 identified signals in Chennai city today as a part of the awareness program.
The program also included an Ophthalmology screening and Apollo Cardiac Outreach Programme (Height and Weight, BP, RBS Doctor Consult and ECG as per Doctor’s Advice) at 32 Metropolitan Transport Depots, 10 State Express Transport Corporation Depots and 30 Tamil Nadu State Express Transport Corporation Depots.
