The Berekum Holy Family Hospital in the Berekum East Municipality in the Bono Region has held stakeholders consultation to find ways to curb the rampant road accidents killing majority of youth in the Berekum municipality.
The stakeholders included the Berekum Traditional Council, the Berekum Municipal Assembly, the Ghana National Fire Service, the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate(MTTD)of the Ghana Police Service, the media, the transport unions, the Christian and, Muslim communities, the Berekum Citizens Association, the Berekum Youth for Accountability and teacher unions.
According to Dr. Frank Gyamfi, a surgical specialist of the Holy Family Hospital, “the meeting was very important for stakeholders to find out the possible solution to minimising the increasing number of youth dying out of motor accidents in the town”.
Dr Gyamfi said the hospital has put together data covering four years from 2018 to 2021, which indicates the number of accidents recorded over the period.
“The hospital has put together data over a year period which shows the motor accident trend from 2018 to 2021 and the number of people involved in the accidents”, he said and added that 60 percent of the accident victims were aged between 20 and 49 years.
The data shows the number of males and females who were admitted and those who later died at the hospital.
ACCIDENT VICTIMS
The report shared by the hospital at the meeting indicated that the hospital recorded a total of 292 persons, made up of 199 males and 93 females who were involved in motor accidents in 2018.
In 2019 the data showed that a total of 366 people, made up of 244 males and 122 females were involved in motor accidents and received at the hospital.
The data further indicated that in 2020, 409 people including 267 males and 142 females were involved in accidents and last year, the hospitals’ Outpatient Department (OPD) recorded accident cases involving 365 persons made up of 239 males and 126 females.
ADMISSIONS AND DEATHS
In 2018 a total of 222 persons, including148 males and 74 females were admitted at the hospital through motor traffic accidents. There were no deaths, the data indicated.
In 2019 the hospital recorded a total of 234 admissions made up of 159 males, 75 females and 4 deaths.
In 2020, the hospital admitted 210 motor traffic accidents victims including 149 males and 61 females. There were14 deaths. In 2021, 216 accident victims including 159 males and 57 females were admitted at the hospital. The facility recorded nine deaths.
INJURIES
The data also showed the types of injuries the accident victims suffered during the period.
Dr. Gyamfi explained that, out of the number of injuries recorded by the hospital over the period, abrasions, dislocations, fractures, and head injuries topped the list.
“Abrasions, MSP, lacerations, fractures, head injuries were mostly recorded by the hospital’s OPD over the period”, he said.
Dr Gyamfi said the management of the hospital, together with the stakeholders committee, is working on the draft report of the meeting which will be forwarded to the Berekum Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Kofi Adjei, who together with his technocrats are expected to initiate possible bye-laws to help and implementation tools to protect the lives of the youth who are mostly involved in the accidents.
