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85% of Spinal Cord Injuries Caused by Traffic Accidents, Nina Foundation Calls for Crash-Proof Vehicles, Better Rural Roads and Stronger Rehab Network
Moneylife Digital Team 25 April 2025
Public Interest
Eight-year-old Shivam Jadhav’s life changed forever when a tractor accidentally reversed over him in a sugarcane field. His story is one of many devastating accounts featured in a landmark report by the Nina Foundation, which reveals that a staggering 85% of spinal cord injuries (SCI) in India are caused by road traffic accidents.
 
The report, based on five years of in-depth data collected until 2024 and edited by Dr Ketna L. Mehta, founder-trustee of the Nina Foundation, highlights a disturbing reality: the majority of SCI survivors—around 75%—come from rural areas and live below the poverty line. This underscores the complex web of medical, social and economic challenges they face. 
 
 
Focusing primarily on Maharashtra, the report documents significant numbers of SCI cases in districts such as Ahmednagar and Aurangabad (50 each), and Jalgaon (40), calling attention to the urgent need for region-specific prevention and rehabilitation strategies.
 
Real-life narratives—such as that of 24-year-old Ashwini Deore, who suffered a life-altering injury after a tyre burst caused a crash in 2022—highlight the human cost of preventable incidents. The report links such accidents to systemic failings, including poor vehicle standards and inadequate road conditions. It advocates for crash-proof vehicle designs, burst-proof tyres, pothole-resistant road surfaces, improved rural road lighting, predictive braking systems and digital driving licence verification to reduce accident risks.
 
 
Despite India having about 44,700 trained spine, neuro, and orthopaedic surgeons, the report reveals that 1.5mn (million) SCI patients still lack access to adequate rehabilitation facilities. Survivors also face harsh socio-economic realities, including meagre disability pensions—ranging from just Rs1,500 in rural areas to Rs2,500 in cities—insufficient to cover even basic medical needs. Insurance discrimination is another major concern, with many providers either refusing coverage or charging unaffordable premiums for SCI survivors.
 
The report proposes a range of practical measures, including mandatory scoop stretchers in ambulances, public spaces and educational institutions, to ensure safe evacuation during accidents. It further recommends the establishment of comprehensive rehabilitation networks staffed by multidisciplinary teams of counsellors, physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists and yoga practitioners.
 
Other major challenges include inaccessible public transport, inadequate access to basic medical services such as dental and gynaecological care, chronic pain management, and the lack of appropriate assistive technology. Survivors often face long delays in securing legal compensation and inconsistencies in disability certification across hospitals. 
 
 
Despite these hardships, the report highlights the continued civic engagement of SCI survivors—many of whom remain active taxpayers and voters—emphasising that they must be recognised as valuable members of society.
 
The Foundation's findings serve as a powerful call to action. With the right mix of policy reform, infrastructure upgrades, improved healthcare access and public awareness, many of these injuries could be prevented. The report urges collaboration between government agencies, healthcare providers, insurers, and the public to address what it calls a “silent epidemic” of spinal injuries—one that is preventable, yet continues to destroy lives on a massive scale.
 
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Public Interest
Trace Beneficiaries of Unclaimed Compensation in Motor Accident, Labour Cases: Supreme Court to High Courts
Ummar Jamal (Bar  and  Bench) 23 April 2025
The Supreme Court has ordered all High Courts to issue directions to tribunals handling motor accident cases and labour cases to initiate a massive drive to trace beneficiaries of compensation awards remaining unclaimed in such...
Public Interest
INDIA Bloc Slams Data Law Amendment, Warns of 'Death Blow' to RTI
Moneylife Digital Team 10 April 2025
Leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), including Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), DMK, CPI(M), and Samajwadi Party, have collectively demanded the immediate repeal of a controversial clause in the recently...
Public Interest
Built on Public Land, Shrouded in Secrecy: How Pune’s ‘Charitable’ Hospitals Flout RTI
Vinita Deshmukh, 10 April 2025
There are 121 private and charitable hospitals in Pune which are on the panel of the contributory medical assistance scheme under the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)’s health department and Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital is one of...
Public Interest
'Footpaths Are Not Dumping Grounds': Bombay HC Orders PMC To Relocate Fuse Boxes, Remove Footpath Obstructions
Moneylife Digital Team 08 April 2025
In a significant boost for pedestrian rights, the Bombay High Court has delivered a stern rebuke to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), directing it to uphold its statutory obligations to ensure safe and obstruction-free footpaths...
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