Poor Handling of Accident Victims causing more Deaths

There are three major forms of accidents namely motor vehicle (the most common and it also includes boda – boda accidents), falls and poisoning. Over four thousand deaths in Uganda in 2023 were attributed to motor accidents; over one thousand five hundred Ugandans succumbed to poisoning between 2017-2023 while the numbers of those that succumbed to death due to falls may not be known. These were the accident cases that the authorities were able to track but it’s also true that there several cases that went unrecorded.

There is no doubt the above figures are alarming, however it is also true that there are quite a number of accident victims that have lost their lives due to poor handling by the public and the police while at the accident scene and during transportation to the nearest health facilities. While there might not be clear statistics of such deaths, what is evident is that there is a big knowledge gap on the proper handling of accident victims.

In order to reduce on the knowledge gap, there is need for the country to be intentional on training the locals in the administration of first aid to accident victims. This article explores ways on how this can be achieved.

Through the existing local government structures the government through the relevant ministry can set aside funds to train selected individuals on the administration of first aid to accident victims. Different accidents require different kind of attention but having at least one person per village trained on the basics of first aid will go a long way in reducing post accident deaths.

The Village Health Team can be a great resource if they are effectively trained in the administration of first aid. The government has through the ministry of health utilised the VHTs in different health campaigns and the success rates are high. It would be a great move if the government allocates resources to have these people trained in a new skill – First Aid and equipped so that they can quickly respond and correctly handle any accident related call.

As a matter of fact having people skilled in first aid in all villages for example can be expensive and hence the funds may not be readily available. However the government can partner with different corporate organizations to sponsor some these trainings. Corporate organizations can also engage in mobilizing funds that can be used in skilling the people in First Aid administration – the way the country did when mobilizing funds to purchase the COVID19 cars (pick-ups). Many corporate organizations have designated staffs that administer first aid. They can offer such human resources to work together with government to train the population. The government can also increase capacity of the Uganda Red Cross (they have always responded effectively to accident calls and provided effective first aid)so that they can provide training to selected people country wide. Such initiatives can bring down the cost but at the same time provide an effective and long lasting service to the community and the country.

Media platforms both social and traditional come in handy as channels through which information on first aid and management of accident victims can be dispensed to the people. The government has run successful media campaigns in the recent past. Uganda was able to successfully fight COVID19 through the help of media platforms that ran information on social distancing, washing of hands among others. The relevant government ministries can design a media campaign that educates people on how to administer first aid to accident victims.

Equipping the police with relevant information, skills, techniques and facilities that help them to respond effectively to accidents. Whenever an accident occurs of any nature,  the people that reach the scene first always call the police to come and save the situation. However the police doesn’t seem to have professional first aid administrators. This is based on the way they are seen handling the accident victims. They also lack the proper means of transporting accident victims to the health facilities for further management. On many occasions the police uses its trucks to transport accident victims as opposed to ambulances. This puts the life of the victims in danger and many lives have been lost as a result.

In conclusion, its true government has put a lot of efforts in the prevention of accidents and it should be commended for these efforts. Prevention is always better than cure. However since the country is yet to achieve the intended levels of prevention, similar efforts should also be invested in the management of accident victims. Victims should be well managed from the scene of the accident all the way through the treatment and recovery process. With these in place we shall reduce on the deaths caused as a result of poor management of accident victims.

For God and My Country