India rolls out evidence-based treatment protocols for burn injuries

To reduce India’s high burn-related mortality rates and standardize care across hospitals, the Centre has issued comprehensive treatment guidelines that formalize first-aid practices and discourage the use of common household remedies, according to two government officials and a document seen by Mint.

- Priyanka Sharma [e-mail]

The new guidelines prohibit the application of household remedies on burn injuries, which can worsen the tissue damage.

(HT)

The development assumes significance given the rising burn injuries—an estimated 6-7 million injuries annually and around 150,000 deaths each year—with women and children disproportionately affected due to cooking fires and flammable liquids.

The new framework, to be adopted by health centres with immediate effect, seeks to replace India’s fragmented, hospital-specific burn care protocols with a uniform, evidence-based system ranging from first responders, primary health centres (PHCs) and tertiary hospitals.