By Olanrewaju Akojede
Lagos – A non- governmental organisation, Guardian of Hope (GOH) Foundation, on Monday called for collaborative efforts of stakeholders to reduce the number of deaths being recorded in road crashes.
The foundation chairperson, Mrs Bosun Kola-Adewale, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Kola-Adewale spoke on the sidelines of Excellence Award programme organised for medical team attached to the Medical and Surgery Emergency Unit, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, Lagos.
GOH is a non-governmental organisation that seeks to help road accident victims to get first aid treatment free of charge before clinical treatments.
According to her, high rate of mortality being recorded from road crashes can be reduced if rescue operation becomes the responsibility of all.
“We need to get more involved; it is not about donating large amount of money. In advanced countries, they have plans in place to take care of the accident victims.
“They have funds set aside for the payment of accident victims’ first aid; this should be our drive, which is to save lives.
“We have observed that there is a missing link in the emergency rescue operations in Nigeria.
“Some of the victims died unnecessarily because nobody pays for their first aid treatments.
“We need to fill in those gaps and help those victims to survive; there are some little things we can pay for such as tetanus injections and others,’’ she said.
Kola-Adewale commended the Lagos State Emergency Rescue Operations and Ambulances (LASEMBA), saying there was need for more collaborative efforts from the citizenry.
“Lagos State has done a lot in the emergency rescue and operations, but the citizens need to do more by contributing to save the lives of the accident victims that are helpless.
“Lagos now has better equipped ambulances located at every strategic place, but the challenge is from the point of the victims getting treatment and stabilising them.
“For this, a little help will suffice to save the lives of those victims; we need not allow people to die when we can help them.
“Lifesaving should be the responsibility of all; we should engage in it because it may be the turn of anybody,’’ she said.
NAN reports that health officials of LASUTH were honoured for their various efforts during emergency operations.
The best hardworking doctors went to Dr Falana Olabisi from Medical Emergency and Dr Ajagbe Mariam of Surgical Emergency.
Also, Dr Oludayo Ogunniran of the Surgical Emergency, was honoured as the Best Response Doctor, while the Best Behave Nurse (Attitude) went to Mrs Bukola Ariyo.
Others include: the Best Emergency Response Nurse, Mrs Adenike Oluwadamilola, while Omotola Fasakin and Aderemi Lawal, received the Best Medical Social Workers. (NAN)