Rise in accidents

Nadira GUNATILLEKE

A significant increase in accidents in Sri Lanka has been reported this year. The rate had gone up by 14 percent.

Last year only 456 persons died from accidents but this figure has gone up to 686 by October 2010, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

According to the spokesman, the number of accident victims admitted to the Colombo National Hospital in 2009 was 75,945 and it has gone up to 88,102 by October this year.

The percentage of motor traffic accidents that in 2009 was 27 percent and it was 28.5 percent by October this year. It has gone up to 21 percent by October this year. The Sri Lankan Government spends a minimum of Rs 50,000 to treat one accident patient.

The problem faced by health authorities at the moment is a lack of accident care services in other parts of the country except Colombo.

Many accident victims are transferred to the Colombo National Hospital for treatment at the moment, he said.

Construction of accident care facilities at Karapitiya, Badulla, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Kandy and Ratnapura hospitals is in progress.

The Ministry spends between Rs 350 to 450 million per one Neuro Trauma Unit. Accident care services will be provided to all other outstation State hospitals soon. Awareness programs will also be organized to prevent accidents. The main objective of this project is minimizing accident related deaths, he added.