Emergency response system for traffic injury victims using a hotline number and 24/7 call center with local volunteer first responders trained in basic trauma first aid, provided with essential medical supplies, and dispatched by SMS messaging.
Prior to beginning operations we hold multiple meetings with local community members and leaders to create strong relationships and recruit potential volunteers. All volunteers receive training on basic trauma first aid in small groups from a Bangladeshi physician-trainer, focusing on life-saving skills that are easy to teach, learn, and perform. Successful graduates are registered to serve as ...
SEE ALLPrior to beginning operations we hold multiple meetings with local community members and leaders to create strong relationships and recruit potential volunteers. All volunteers receive training on basic trauma first aid in small groups from a Bangladeshi physician-trainer, focusing on life-saving skills that are easy to teach, learn, and perform. Successful graduates are registered to serve as TraumaLink Volunteer First Responders and undergo retraining every 6-12 months. They are supervised by paid field staff who provide local support and quality control.
We have a dedicated emergency hotline number that provides 24/7 access to our call center, where operators first collect information on the incident location and number of injured patients. Our custom designed software then automatically dispatches volunteers by SMS messaging, prioritized by their proximity to the crash scene. First aid supplies are stored in easily accessible locations to provide round the clock availability. After patients have been treated at the crash scene, operators provide guidance on the nearest appropriate medical facility based on their location and injury severity. When all victims have been transported from the scene, the operator follows up by phone with the first responders to collect additional demographic and operational information related to the incident.
SEE LESSStage 5: Scaling
Since our inception, we have expanded our operations up to a total of 135 km on 3 major highways. We are continuing to grow our service in Bangladesh and exploring partnerships to expand the model to other developing nations.
Registered in Bangladeshin Bangladesh
Focus Areas:
Health, Non-communicable Diseases and Disaster Risk Reduction
Health, Non-communicable Diseases and Disaster Risk ReductionSEE LESS
Implemented In:
Bangladesh
BangladeshSEE LESS
$216,789
Funds Raised to Date
Problem
Road traffic injuries are a rapidly growing epidemic throughout the developing world but often get less recognition and attention than other healthcare challenges. In addition to causing immense suffering for the victims, these events can also have profound and multigenerational impacts on families and communities. Sadly, despite the overwhelming need for rapid access to care, many developing countries lack a formal prehospital emergency medical system to treat victims at the crash scene.
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Solution
We provide free trauma first aid on the highways. Our service model utilizes an emergency hotline number, a 24/7 call center, and volunteer first responders recruited from the local community who are trained in basic trauma first aid and provided with necessary medical equipment like stretchers and bandages. The training curriculum was designed to teach simple but life-saving skills that can be learned and performed by people with any level of education and no prior medical background.
Target Beneficiaries
The direct beneficiaries of the service are patients injured on the highways and in need of urgent medical care, with all demographics represented. The indirect beneficiaries are TraumaLink’s Volunteer First Responders, all of whom are local community members from many different backgrounds including teachers, small business owners, and farmers. The community-at-large also benefits from the increased attention to road traffic injuries and the focus on creating safer public spaces.
Mission and Vision
We have developed a simple, cost-effective, and easily scalable model to reduce the burden of traffic injuries and aspire to bring these life-saving services not only to all Bangladeshis, but also to other developing nations facing similar challenges on their roads. We provide care to anyone in need, free of charge, and create strong bonds with communities to work toward a safer and more prosperous society.
Competitive Advantage
Bangladesh does not currently have a comprehensive national prehospital system to treat traffic injury victims. Yet, when a crash occurs there are almost always people at the scene trying to help. Without proper training or equipment, however, these efforts can sometimes cause additional harm. We felt that if we could harness this good will by providing education, first aid supplies, and a way to rapidly mobilize available first responders we could start making a positive impact on patient outcomes. The widespread and rapidly growing use of mobile technology in Bangladesh has provided a powerful tool for organizing these volunteer emergency services.
Planned Goals and Milestones
We are actively expanding our services in Bangladesh, first prioritizing the major highways, where most serious incidents are occurring. We will then move into secondary roads and eventually create a cohesive national network of community-based first responders integrated with government agencies. We are also exploring partnerships to create similar projects in other developing countries.
| Funding Goal | 50,000 |
| Projected Cumulative Lives Impacted | 100,000 |
The Team Behind the Innovation
We have a diverse and talented team from Bangladesh and the U.S. with expertise in emergency medicine, public health, mobile health and technologies, social organizing, finance, and data analysis. We have always been focused on professional development, and our local staff manage all of our day-to-day operations. We have built close relationships with a growing number of government agencies, local communities, and other organizations involved in road safety.