Harvard i-lab | 2013 Deans' Health & Life Sciences Challenge -- TraumaLink

TL;DR

TraumaLink aims to establish a hotline connecting trauma victims with trained first responders in Bangladesh to provide immediate and effective pre-hospital care, reducing delays in treatment time and preventing preventable deaths caused by road accidents.

Transcript

hi i'm john musali i'm a practicing emergency physician and the ceo of traumalink traumalink is a social enterprise that will harness the power of communities to provide pre-hospital trauma care to victims of traffic injuries we'll create a hotline that connects patients with trained first aid volunteers and emergency transportation while at the sa... Read More

Key Insights

• ✋ Traffic injuries in Bangladesh result in a high number of fatalities and injuries, disproportionately affecting young and healthy individuals.
• 😷 The lack of immediate medical attention and delays in treatment time contribute to preventable deaths and long-lasting poverty for the victims' families.
• 😑 TraumaLink's innovative model, supported by local partnerships, aims to provide timely and effective pre-hospital trauma care through a hotline system and trained first aid volunteers.
• 🤳 The scalability and self-sustainability of TraumaLink's model are based on minimizing training expenses, leveraging advertising partnerships, and exploring alternative revenue streams.
• 🖤 Anticipated risks include potential government resistance and lack of community buy-in, which TraumaLink aims to mitigate through partnerships, local engagement, and community awareness campaigns.
• 😑 The experienced team, board of advisors, and partnerships position TraumaLink as a unique and well-equipped organization to address the issue of pre-hospital trauma care in Bangladesh.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the main goal of TraumaLink?

The main goal of TraumaLink is to provide immediate and effective pre-hospital trauma care to traffic accident victims in Bangladesh, reducing delays in treatment time and preventing unnecessary deaths.

Q: How does TraumaLink's hotline system work?

TraumaLink's hotline connects trauma victims with trained first aid volunteers and emergency transportation services. The hotline operators dispatch volunteers to the location of the accident and provide guidance on transporting the victim to the nearest appropriate medical facility.

Q: How does TraumaLink plan to train volunteers?

TraumaLink has formed exclusive academic partnerships with three major Bangladeshi universities to utilize existing training programs and educational networks. They will conduct a train-the-trainer type education program to rapidly train a large number of volunteers.

Q: How does TraumaLink plan to fund its operations?

TraumaLink aims to generate revenue through private sector advertising. Organizations can sponsor TraumaLink's services by advertising on billboards, posters, car stickers, and t-shirts. These sponsorship fees will cover TraumaLink's operating costs.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• TraumaLink is a social enterprise in Bangladesh that aims to provide pre-hospital trauma care to victims of traffic injuries by creating a hotline connecting patients with trained first aid volunteers and emergency transportation.

• The lack of immediate medical attention and delays in treatment time often lead to preventable deaths and severe long-term poverty for the victims' families.

• TraumaLink's model involves four key sectors: call center operations, trauma training, community engagement, and private sector advertising, all supported by local partners.