Prevention and management of head injuries in India: An overview

India representing one sixth of humanity with the maximum number of two wheelers is a paradox. State of the art neuro intensive care units and teleconsultation through VSAT satellites exist, along with poor infrastructural facilities. A fatality every four minutes makes head injury the sixth commonest cause of death. Only 800 neurosurgeons arc available for a population of 1050 million. $ 500 million (1% of the GDP of India) is the annual loss due to road traffic accidents alone. 70% of head injuries are preventable, occurring due to negligence and ignorance. In most states, use of helmets is not compulsory. This paper will outline the preventive and the new therapeutic strategies employed in dealing with head injuries in suburban and rural India.