The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has revealed that four states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, has the highest number of road traffic crashes and fatalities in the country.
Disclosing this during the inspection of an ongoing Trauma Centre at the hospital, Abuja, Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of FRSC, Mr. Osita Chidoka, said the rating was based on positing of highways reports as at the end of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013.
Chidoka who named Bauchi, Kogi, Kaduna, Delta states and the FCT, as states with highest records of road accidents, said the Corps was currently working on an engagement plan with the governors of affected states and the FCT Minister to ensure improved road safety practices in their areas of jurisdiction.
Chidoka reiterated the corps’ commitment to ensuring a zero per cent record on road crashes in any part of the country.
On the Trauma Centre which has a landing space for air ambulances, the Corps Marshal commended the management of the National Hospital, describing it as “a pride of place to the nation’s health architecture.”
When commissioned, the centre, Chidoka said, would add value to the corps’ drive towards prompt medical care for road crash victims and qualitative advantage to emergency and rescue services in Nigeria.
According to him, the FRSC has through its numerous initiatives, acquired 3,000 Closed User Group, CUG, telephone lines which were distributed among its management team, operatives in the Field Commands and all Federal Medical Centres nationwide, to ensure seamless interface and prompt attention for road crash victims especially those with trauma cases.
He also said that the FRSC has acquired 57 ambulances and established 84 functional road side clinics as part of measures to address road crash-related issues and stated that the Corps will partner with the National Hospital on the training of FRSC medical personnel on contemporary global best practices on trauma care. He further said that plans are in the works to get Insurance companies to dedicate part of funds generated from third party insurance holders to complement efforts by government to alleviate the plight of road crash victims.
Chidoka also disclosed that the FRSC will integrate the proposed partnership with the National Hospital on training into the on-going World Bank programme on capacity building adding that 40 officers are presently in France on a Safe-To-Load scheme under the sponsorship of the World Bank and Total Nigeria partnership as part of measures to ensure the safety of Tankers in Nigeria.
