Compassion and care should be part of trauma treatment: Tamil Nadu Speaker

Medicine is not just a profession; it is a service to human life, said Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar, stressing the need for compassionate care in emergency and trauma treatment.

Speaking at MIOT Trauma Day 2026 at MIOT International on Thursday (October 22, 2026), Mr. Prabhakar highlighted that every individual had dreams, families, and responsibilities, but these could be shattered in an instant when an accident occurred. Prompt medical help in these moments was crucial, and creating awareness through programmes could help ensure that timely care was sought at the right place.

Respecting the rules of the road, wearing a helmet, and refraining from drinking alcohol before driving: these actions, he emphasised, could protect not just our lives, but the lives of others as well. He recalled his interactions with MIOT founder Dr. P.V.A. Mohandas when he was a patient at Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital.

He narrated instances of emergencies and stressed the need for bystanders to show compassion towards accident victims by getting them immediate medical help. He stated that compassion was something that everyone should inculcate. He also noted that the present government was working hard to meet the basic needs of people in a transparent manner.

Prithvi Mohandas, managing director, MIOT International, said that the most important quality a doctor should possess was care for patients: a doctor’s head might be used to treat patients, but it was not possible to cure them without using the heart.

Mahesh Karthik, senior orthopaedic surgeon, MIOT International, noted that every second counts in polytrauma. He explained that trauma was one of the leading causes of death in India and the leading cause of death among people under 30. These deaths, he stressed, were preventable. He emphasised the importance of the golden hour and presented the cases of three patients who had sustained multiple injuries in accidents. He spoke of the need for proper planning when handling such complex trauma cases, as well as the importance of recovery and rehabilitation following surgeries and other procedures.

Family members of patients recalled their experiences at the event. They spoke of the accidents their relatives had suffered and the medical care they had received, and thanked the hospital and the medical teams.