Trauma Care in India and Japan: Current Situation and Future Prospects

As trauma deaths have increased whereas age-standardised mortality rates have declined, improving trauma care is an issue of crucial importance for both developed and developing countries. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine, and the Japanese Association for the Surgery of Trauma jointly initiated this project between India and Japan, with as a first phase finding a way of creating benefits and synergies for limiting the social burden that results from trauma deaths. Through the human exchange programme as part of this project, the members from Japan suggested combining the ideas utilising trauma care techniques and systems to improve its quality in both countries, while the members from India were able to learn about the management systems and programmes relevant to trauma and how to leverage them optimally in India. These activities resulted in the setting up of intensive communication amongst doctors, nurses, and medical staff to encourage the exchange of ideas and the sharing of experiences. The setting up of training programmes tailored to each country’s needs has contributed to improving trauma care in each country.