Over 30% road accidents due to mobile phone use, say docs

Lucknow: A 37-year-old man, Alok Singh (name changed), suffered serious head injuries after accidentally falling into an open manhole while using his mobile phone and riding a bike. He was rushed to KGMU trauma centre, where emergency brain surgery was performed to save his life.
"He was chatting with a friend when the accident occurred," said Dr Sameer Misra, patron of the Society of Acute Care and Trauma and Emergency Medicine (SACTEM) and a faculty member at KGMU's trauma surgery unit.
Experts at the Conclave of Medical Emergency and Trauma (COMET) 2025 said, "Around 30-40% of road accident cases are linked to mobile phone usage while walking or driving". Over 500 trauma and emergency care experts from across India and abroad participated on the first day of COMET 2025.
Dr Misra emphasised, "Scrolling through mobile screens while walking or riding two-wheelers has become a common distraction, leading to severe injuries". Chief medical superintendent of the KGMU trauma centre, Prof Prem Raj Singh said, "People lose focus on the road, and that momentary lapse often ends in trauma".
SACTEM founder-president Dr Lokendra said, "Most patients or their attendants don't initially admit to mobile phone use. But when we dig deeper, we find the actual numbers could be higher than 30-40%. Policymakers, police and the administration must take strict action against such behaviour as it endangers others as well. At the same time, people must act responsibly."
Co-founder of SACTEM, Dr Mustahsin Mali said, "We need stricter laws, better road infrastructure, and most importantly, public awareness campaigns. Educating people about the risks of mobile phone distractions is critical. Schools, workplaces and community groups must be involved to build a culture of responsible behaviour on the roads".
Earlier, the conference began with a ceremonial lamp lighting by organising secretary Dr Subhankar Paul, co-secretary Dr Utsav Anand Mani and Dr Pushpraj Singh.
Docs push for helpline to track hosp beds, ventilators
Lucknow: There is an urgent need for a centralised digital system and helpline to track real-time availability of beds and ventilators across hospitals, similar to the Covid-19 vaccination portal. This was an agreed policy session at COMET 2025 in which experts agreed that poor coordination — not lack of medicines or machines — is the biggest hurdle in emergency response.
Director of AIIMS Bhopal, Dr Ajai Singh said, "Patients are often rushed to major hospitals without checking bed or ventilator status, leading to delays. Minor cases crowd emergency rooms, and limited ambulances, slow response times and untrained drivers further worsen the situation."
The panel included senior officials such as principal secretary (Ayush & food safety and drug administration) Ranjan Kumar, IIM Lucknow's Prof Venkat, AIIMS Guwahati director Dr Ashok Puranik and SGPGI emergency department head Dr RK Singh.