Delhi, September 15, 2025 - A crash involving a BMW and a motorcycle in Delhi claimed the life of a senior finance ministry official and raised concerns about delays in emergency medical care. The first hour after injury often referred to by medical professionals as the “golden hour”, can be for survival and recovery.1
On Sunday afternoon near Dhaula Kuan, Delhi, a BMW struck a motorcycle carrying Navjot Singh (52), a Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, and his wife, Sandeep Kaur. They were traveling home after a visit to Bangla Sahib Gurdwara. Singh didn't survive, and Kaur sustained serious injuries, head wound, multiple fractures and underwent 14 stitches.
The driver of the BMW, Gaganpreet Kaur (38), and her husband Parikshit Makkad, both residents of Gurugram, also sustained injuries. Authorities arrested them and registered charges including culpable homicide, rash driving, and giving false information.
Instead of taking the injured to the nearest suitable hospital, the accused directed them to NuLife Hospital in GTB Nagar, about 19-22 km from the accident site. The hospital is reportedly co-owned by Gaganpreet’s family. The long transport time raised concerns from witnesses and the victim’s son about whether timely care could have changed the outcome.
The term “golden hour” refers to the period immediately following traumatic injury during which definitive medical treatment increases the likelihood of survival. Studies show that initiating care within this window is associated with better outcomes.
A study titled Early Management of Trauma: The Golden Hour emphasizes that the first 60 minutes after injury are critical for stabilizing airway, breathing, and circulation, controlling bleeding, and preparing patients for transport to a hospital capable of definitive care. 1
Another research piece, Faster on-scene times associated with decreased mortality, found that reducing delays in emergency medical service response and hospital transport correlates with lower death rates in trauma victims. 2
According to the victim’s son, Navnoor Singh, his father might have survived if they had taken him to a closer hospital instead of one 19-22 km away. He stated that every minute delays care, especially for life-threatening injuries. In settings where emergency response times are long or where hospitals are far, transporting patients quickly to a facility that can provide definitive care matters significantly for reducing mortality.
Trauma guidelines generally stress primary assessment (checking airway, breathing, circulation), immediate stabilization steps, and rapid transport to a trauma center. Emergency services and hospital systems that minimize pre-hospital time (time from injury to arrival at hospital) consistently show better patient outcomes.
The concept that definitive resuscitative trauma care must be initiated within this early window has been publicized, taught, and practiced worldwide for more than four decades.
Early Management of Trauma: The Golden Hour. Abhilash, K. P. P., Sivanandan, A. Current Medical Issues 18, no. 1 (2020): 36-39. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338999083_Early_management_of_trauma_The_golden_hour
Faster on-scene times associated with decreased mortality. Pham H. et al
(Rh/Eth/TL/MSM)