Of the 166 people killed in 26/11, at least nine could have been saved if a pre-hospital trauma life support (PHTLS) system would have been in place.

Doctors of JJ Group of Hospitals came to this conclusion after a two-year study on the injury patterns suffered by the victims in the 2008 terror attack. The study, Mortality pattern of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, was published in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery (US) last year.

“The nine persons did not suffer from severe organ injuries and they could have been saved,” said Dr Ajay Bhandarwar, professor of general surgery department, who headed the study team.

The management of JJ Group of Hospitals started the PHTLS system when a four-storey building collapsed at Dockyard Road in September.

Without wasting time, the PHTLS team rushed surgeons, anaesthetists and skilled paramedics to the spot. “Our PHTLS team treated the injured at the site. Many had respiratory problem and we used manual resuscitator or self-inflating bag, a hand-held device used to provide positive pressure ventilation to patients who are either not breathing or not breathing adequately,” said Dr TP Lahane, dean of Sir JJ Group of Hospitals.

As many as 60 persons were killed in the house collapse – the number could have been more had the PHTLS system not been in place. The system’s primary aim is to provide critical medical help in the ‘golden hour’ — the time considered crucial to save an injured person.

“The model has been adopted abroad. We hope to use it more intensively,” said Dr Bhandarwar.

The state-run JJ Hospital has seen many terror victims being brought in for treatment over the years. But without a proper trauma management centre, the hospital struggles to provide comprehensive medical service to the injured.

The system recommends that all private and government hospitals in the city be interconnected to deal with emergencies.

On the study, Dr Bhandarwar said that the team collected data from hospitals and went through the post-mortem records of 114 victims to understand the pattern and nature of injuries. “We found a new pattern with every terror attack...This shows the changing style of the attacks and the use of high-tech and advanced weapons,” he added.