•Calls to reduce preventable deaths

From Doris Obinna

Trauma is the emotional and psychological response to a physically or emotionally harmful event that is difficult for the mind and body to process. It can result from a single, shocking incident like a car crash or a natural disaster, or from long-term, repeated experiences such as ongoing abuse or neglect. The impact of trauma is subjective, and individuals can experience lasting adverse effects on their mental, physical, and emotional well-being.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), trauma is a major cause of death and morbidity in Nigeria, with road traffic accidents (RTAs) being the most common cause, accounting for a high percentage of injuries and deaths.

It disclosed causes of trauma ranging from experiencing or witnessing violence, natural disasters, or accidents; enduring a long-term pattern of stress, such as childhood neglect, bullying, or living in an abusive relationship; trauma can also result from events that cause emotional or spiritual harm, like discrimination, job loss, or a difficult divorce.

Every year globally on October 17, the World Trauma Day, is commemorated to raise awareness and promote faster emergency care, it was first observed in 2011 in New Delhi, India, following a rise in road traffic accidents across the country. Since then, it has become a global reminder of how important it is to reduce preventable deaths through better trauma systems.

To mark the 2025 World Trauma Day, the Lagos State Government has reiterated its resolve to strengthen emergency preparedness and trauma response mechanisms to reduce preventable deaths on Lagos roads, as stakeholders converged on for a symposium to mark this year’s trauma day.

With the theme: “Reducing Needless Deaths on Our Roads: Everybody’s Responsibility,” the event, organized by the Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre (LASAEC), drew participants from key sectors including health, transportation, security, and civil society, who emphasised that reducing road trauma must be a shared civic duty.

Speaking, the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi who was represented by the Director, Medical Services, Lagos Health Service Commission, Dr. Olawale Adegbite, said most trauma cases on Lagos roads were not accidents but preventable incidents caused by human errors. He stressed that the state’s emergency systems, especially pre-hospital care and ambulance services, have been instrumental in saving lives but require continuous improvement and public cooperation.

Abayomi lamented that many lives were lost due to delays caused by onlookers taking videos instead of assisting first responders, urging Lagosians to respect ambulances and prioritize saving lives. “Every time we block an ambulance or ignore an emergency call, someone’s parent, spouse, or child could be dying. Trauma care begins with public responsibility,” he cautioned.

Highlighting Lagos’ ongoing investments in emergency medicine, he noted that most trauma cases brought in by LASAMBUS ambulances recorded higher survival rates compared to those transported by bystanders. “Proper prehospital intervention makes the difference between life and death,” he said, adding that continuous staff training and retention were critical to sustaining success in trauma management.

Causes of disability

Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, described trauma as one of the leading causes of preventable deaths and disabilities globally, particularly from road traffic crashes. She noted that Lagos State has made significant progress under the leadership of the governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, citing improvements in ambulance coverage, response time, and coordination among first responders.

Ogunyemi who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, Dr. Oluwatoni Adeyemi, said: “We recently launched ten emergency ambulance bikes to ensure faster access to victims in congested areas and also commissioned modular high-dependency units in Ifako and Mushin General Hospitals. These interventions are part of our drive to bring critical care closer to communities and reduce delays in lifesaving interventions.”

She further emphasised that the theme of this year’s commemoration underscored the fact that reducing trauma-related deaths goes beyond government efforts. “It requires everyone, drivers, pedestrians, health professionals, civil society, and the media; to play their roles in building a culture of prevention and prompt response.”

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, recalled a trauma survivor treated at LASAEC. According to him, it represented the essence of the symposium. He recounted how coordinated emergency response and government-backed trauma care saved a man who was left comatose after a crash on the morning of his daughter’s wedding.

Ogboye stressed that pre-hospital care was a crucial but often neglected component of healthcare. He revealed that the Lagos State Government was expanding trauma centers across the state, with new facilities being established in Epe, Eti-Osa, and Badagry corridors in partnership with private sector allies such as Custodian Allied Insurance and Access Bank.

He added that the state’s ambulance service had evolved into a world-class system with well-equipped vehicles serving as mobile intensive care units. “There’s hardly any equipment you’ll find in advanced ambulance systems that our units don’t have ventilators, defibrillators, and fully trained emergency technicians. Lagos has come a long way,” he said.

Attitudinal change

The Permanent Secretary also called for attitudinal change among motorists and the general public, especially in giving ambulances the right of way. “You move aside for convoys and security vehicles, yet block ambulances carrying lives. That behavior must change. It could be your loved one in that ambulance,” he warned.

In his presentation titled “The Traumatic Story Being Rewritten,” the Medical Director, LASAEC, Dr. Adeolu Arogundade, told the true story of a victim, who was hit by a car and left unconscious for months but survived through state-funded care. He said the case epitomised the 41,000 trauma cases successfully treated at LASAEC in the last 15 years, with a commendable mortality rate of just 1.4 per cent.

Arogundade praised the state government for sustaining a policy that guarantees free emergency care for all trauma victims within the first 24 hours, emphasising that the policy’s funding, though sometimes delayed, remains vital to saving lives. “Behind every statistic is a human story. Each percentage represents someone’s father, mother, or friend who lived because a system worked,” he noted.

He further applauded first responders, including LASAMBUS, FRSC, LASMA, and RRS operatives, for their selflessness and collaboration with hospitals in ensuring timely care for victims. “Our success is proof that trauma care is everyone’s business; from road users to rescuers and administrators.”

Related deaths avoidable

Also, Lagos State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Corps Commander Kehinde Hamzat, underscored the grim reality that most crash-related deaths are avoidable. Citing WHO data, he said Africa bears a disproportionate share of the 1.3 million global deaths from road traffic crashes yearly, with Lagos inclusive due to high vehicle density and weak road discipline.

Hamzat warned that unsafe behaviours such as speeding, drunk driving, and disregard for traffic laws remain major culprits, stressing that effective trauma management begins with prevention. “No matter how advanced our hospitals become, if we don’t change road behaviour, we’ll keep losing lives needlessly.”

He commended the Lagos State Government for its leadership in emergency response reforms and called for continued synergy between agencies. “Our collective vigilance, compliance, and compassion are what will make our roads safer and our emergency systems more responsive,” he said.

Participants resolved to deepen inter-agency collaboration, intensify public sensitization, and push for behavioural change campaigns across the state.