Spreading the message on first responder care

Javid embarks on 30,000-km journey to create awareness on spinal cord injuries

Mohammed Javid is on a cross-country tour, driving his four-wheel drive, with the objective of spreading awareness among the general public on spinal cord injuries and ‘first responder care’.

Starting from Chennai on March 8, he travelled through Maharashtra, Mandhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, before reaching Visakhapatnam on Friday.

The pain in his voice was evident, when Mr. Javid recalled his own trauma, when he met with an accident in Chennai in 2011. “Had they (bystanders) handled me carefully, my spinal cord should not have been damaged so badly. When spinal cord injury is suspected, neck rest and sliding board should be used in shifting the victim on to a stretcher to minimise the complications,” he says.

“We Indians are very sympathetic and considerate towards accident victims, but due to lack of awareness and in our anxiety to help victims, we do not seem to think of the possible damage we could be doing to patients with spinal cord injuries.,” he says.

“I had travelled through Solapur, Aurangabad, Lonar Lake, Nagpur, Bhopal and Raipur. I put up at Araku last night. I generally stay at hotels during the nights.  Most of the hotels, barring the Star hotels, do not have special access facilities for differently abled persons,” Mr. Javid, who named his tour as ‘MJ on Wheels’, told The Hindu.

“People received me very well, wherever I went. They were very supporting and helpful. Those who are not aware of handling spinal cord victims should wait for an ambulance to ensure proper shifting of the patient to hospital. When public are aware of first responder care and proper technique of handling of such patients, they will insist on the ambulance staff to use neck rest and sliding board to shift the patient,” he says.

Mr. Javid dedicates his 30,000 km, pan India tour as a tribute to his ‘mentor’ Vaidyanathan, who had helped him regain confidence in himself. “Unfortunately, we lost him during the COVID-19 second wave,” he says and adds: “There are many people, with a lot of talent, being confined to the four walls of their homes. This (cross country drive) is important for people like me gain confidence and to learn to lead independent lives.”