Baroda based Lifeline Foundation is celebrating its 15th year of nation changing work, helping India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to create a unified EMS. Founded in 2002 and known by the Accident Helpline 98250 26000 the Foundation has changed the way India handles vehicle accident related highway trauma care and medical emergencies by pioneering Emergency Medical Services, first on the highways and later working with stakeholders across rural and urban areas. The Foundation has earned national and international recognition including being the Editorial Secretariat of the Asian EMS Journal, the official journal of the Singapore based Asian Association for EMS. Lifeline also has worked with decision makers in some states and Central Government of India to create good practices and write down protocols for Trauma Care starting with Gujarat and its EMS Act. Lifeline Foundation has now shifted towards a more inclusive highway accident relief; the current focus is on actively advocating Bystander First Aid & CPR to enable common citizens to save lives in post-accident trauma and ‘out of hospital cardiac arrest’. The aim is to train and empower passer-bys to act and save lives till ambulance relief reaches. Its focus now is on training first responders (including industrial staff) in immediate care of emergencies and bystander CPR. It has held recognition by Director Industrial Safety & Health (DISH), Government of Gujarat as a training centre under the Factories Act. It is also working with industries, ports and mines to better Industrial EMS across the country. Lifeline’s other current priority is to create Pan-Asian Trauma Care systems along with other Asian stakeholders. Workshops and conferences to create public awareness and impart technical training to stakeholders, both medical and non-medical period is another key focus area.
