Dhanbad district, which reportedly witnesses 200 fatal road mishaps every year, doesn’t have a trauma centre despite the Centre granting Rs 80 lakh for the purpose way back in 2016.

According to a report by the transport research wing of the road transport and highways ministry, around 200 people are killed in road accidents every year.

In the absence of a trauma centre, the victims have to be rushed to either Bokaro General Hospital, around 40km away, or The Mission Hospital in Durgapur, located around 102km from Dhanbad.

The central government had in 2016 granted Rs 80 lakh for the construction of a trauma centre at Patliputra Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), but the fund lapsed after the district administration’s efforts to identify land drew a blank.

“For a district like Dhanbad where frequent road accidents lead to deaths, it’s frustrating to know a fund worth Rs 80 lakh meant for a trauma centre has lapsed because of the inefficiency of the district administration,” social activist Ankit Rajgarhia said.

According to Rajgarhia, PMCH, which doesn’t have a neurosurgeon, refers a majority of cases of head injury after accidents to either Bokaro General Hospital or The Mission Hospital in Durgapur.

“It takes at least 90 minutes to reach Bokaro General Hospital and three hours to reach Durgapur. This reduces the survival chances of victims, who often require immediate medical intervention,” he said.

PMCH superintendent Arun Kumar said Jharkhand State Building Construction Corporation Limited was supposed to identify land for the trauma centre.

JSBCCL executive engineer Binod Kumar said he joined duty a year ago and was not aware of any such fund.

Dhanbad civil surgeon Gopal Das said: “We received a letter from the state health, medical education and family welfare department on Thursday seeking a report detailing the requirement of a trauma centre. We will soon send a report along with details of the land.”