Remember road accident victims

Factmore Dzobo Senior Reporter.
ON the tarmac and adjacent patches of grass, a horrific scene of severed limbs, mangled bodies and a strong unpleasant smell emanating from human blood-a gory sight.

Ambulance rescue teams move survivors a few metres from the accident scene as they try to perform some basic first aid before the injured are rushed to the nearest hospital.

Such is the sight of an accident scene. Road traffic accidents continue to claim lives everyday with no end in sight.

As we approach the Christmas and New Year holidays, it is pertinent to remind members of the public of the increasing fatalities recorded during this time of the year.

Almost every day, drivers and passengers are injured or die in road accidents around the country. On numerous occasions the casualties are rushed to nearby health institutions in the hope that their lives might be saved.

Despite these emergency rescue services, many accident victims are reportedly failing to get proper medication and treatment in time due to various challenges. The major challenge is lack of resources at many health institutions and the situation is aggravated by victims’ failure to pay for specialist services.

The failure by many motor vehicle insurance companies to provide compensation and assistance to road accident victims regardless of their pledge to do so, has further compounded the problem. Many public transporters as well as individual motorists have therefore bemoaned the failure by insurance companies to meet their part of the bargain.

National Traffic Consultative Committee Southern region, vice chairman, Mark Mbayiwa said road traffic accident victims are suffering with no one coming to their rescue. He said many road accident victims are failing to get proper medical care and treatment as a result of lack of resources which has been worsened by insurance companies that are not paying them compensation.

“It’s very disheartening to see injured accidents victims failing to get compensation from insurance companies or assistance from owners especially of public vehicles like buses. There’s therefore no reason why vehicles should be insured if at the end of the day victims aren’t compensated. Most of the insurance companies claim to cover or compensate road accident victims in the event of a road accident. These insurance companies are just swindling the public transporters and private motorists of their money,” said Mbayiwa.

Public transporters called on the government to rid the insurance industry of bogus companies and also put in place mechanism to force insurance companies to compensate victims.

“Many factors come into play when we talk of support and compensation for accident victims. First there’s the issue of bogus motor vehicle insurance companies that have mushroomed in the country and genuine insurance companies that just don’t want to compensate victims,” said Davison Mzilethu, a Bulawayo commuter omnibus operator.

Mbayiwa said it was important for public transporters and private motorists to ensure that they insure their vehicles with only those companies that are prepared to compensate victims.

“We want a situation whereby public transporters insure their vehicles with reputable companies that compensate victims of accidents or assist bereaved families in the event of death,” he said.

Government on its part is working with the National Traffic Safety Council to establish a road accident fund that would assist road accident victims.

“It’s of great concern that many accident victims are suffering after failing to get support or medication. Plans are at an advanced stage to establish a road accident fund that will support accident victims to secure proper treatment and medication,” said Obio Chinyere, Traffic Safety Council managing director.

Chinyere noted that those set to benefit from the proposed fund include hit and run victims. He said the road accident fund would support the accident victims and the bereaved family.

Speaking during the recently held World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, the TSCZ Matabeleland’s regional manager, Barbara Mpofu said it was important for organizations such as churches and companies to assist road accident victims who cannot afford to pay hospital bills.

“Most road accident victims can’t even afford to pay for their treatment especially those in need of blood given the prices of blood,” said Mpofu.

The TSCZ’s Matabeleland region remembered the World Remembrance Day for Traffic Road accident victims by visiting Mpilo Central Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospitals and donated blankets and fruit baskets to some road accident victims admitted at the two institutions.

The World Remembrance Day for Traffic Road Accident Victims is usually observed on the third Sunday of November every year.

The day was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005

Mpilo Central Hospital matron, Sibusisiwe Faith Ndlovu also highlighted the need for the government to form a trust fund for road accident victims. She said almost everyday the hospital receives accident victims who need assistance as they cannot afford to pay for treatment.

According to the recent statistics from the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, a total of 12,910 people were injured last year against 11,458 injured this year in road traffic accidents A total of 1,695 deaths were recorded from January to October last year compared to 1,340 during the same period this year.

The statistics also reveal that from January to October last year a total of 32,693 accidents were recorded compared to 33,360 recorded during the same period this year. Most road traffic accidents were attributed to speeding, overtaking error, vehicle mechanical faults, drunken driving, worn-out tyres and overloading.