Ghana loses six persons daily through road crashes

Out of the 14,000 persons who fall victim to road crashes in Ghana annually, 2000 of them lose their lives, the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has revealed.

According to Mr David Osafo Adonteng, Director of Planning and Programmes, NRSC, the deaths and injuries associated with road crashes were not an individual and family issue but a national tragedy which must be tackled collectively.

Mr Adonteng led a delegation compromising the staff NRSC, Puma and Simon Frimpong Transport to commemorate World Day of Remembrance For Road Traffic Victims in Tema.

Activities for the day included a church service at Tema Joint Church and a donation of assorted items including wheel chairs, disinfectants, fruits, toilet rolls, stretchers and walking aids to the Accident and Emergency Ward of the Tema General Hospital (TGH).

The delegation also visited and interacted with patients, nurses and doctors on duty at the ward.

Mr Adonteng said road crash was a leveller which victimised all manner of persons irrespective of economic or social class, ethnic origin, profession, sex or political and religious persuasion.

According to him, breadwinners easily became economic liabilities on families, relying on someone’s sympathy because they had been incapacitated through road crashes.

He called on the media, law enforcement agencies, road users to be active in the nation’s quest to minimise road crashes and its associated difficulties spearheaded by the Commission.

Dr Lawrence Ofori-Boadu, Emergency Specialist, TGF, thanked the NRSC and its partners for the visit and donation.

He appealed for more oxygen dispensers, monitors, trollies, wheel chairs, ambulances and a trauma surgeon.

According to him, the Hospital was overwhelmed with daily cases of emergencies and accidents because it served as a referral point for all cases in and around Tema including the Accra-Tema motorway, Tema Akosombo motorway, Tema-Aflao motorway and the Tema Ashaiman road which were accident prone.

He said motor bicycle riders from Ashaiman topped the list of victims of road crashes at the centre while industrial accident victims come in with severe conditions.

According him, the Hospital relied on the National Ambulance system which most of the time arrived late.

He appealed to government to expand and upgrade the Tema General Hospital to properly serve the about I million people in its catchment area.