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| Sunday, 19 May 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Demons on wheels Give the rest a break by JAYANTHI LIYANAGE As the private bus took off from the stand, Rita leaned back on her
seat happily, ready to savour the ensuing suburban scenery. Once past the
dense patches of city bustle, with "She was transferred to our Accident Service from Kalubowila Hospital, and she died here," says Dr. Hector Weerasinghe, Director, National Hospital, Colombo. "She had not known that her seat was placed on a damaged floor board concealed with a temporary covering. When the driver accelerated, the seat went down and she suffered severe head injuries." Such was the sealing of the fate of a passenger, gullible enough to place her care in the shifting fortunes of a transport-provider for whom "fast cash" measured on a higher scale than the life of a passenger. In fact, we seem to be hearing more of such incidents somewhat benignly termed accidents - perhaps a reflection of the decadent times we live in ? On May 10, we heard of a bus which hurtled down a tea embankment precipice in Wewelwatte, killing four and injuring 49 passengers. Amidst shock expressed at the "upside-down" bus wedged on the bank, we also heard that it was a newly-recruited driver who had steered the bus-load to its fateful destiny. May 14 was a day of double tragedy. In Kandy, a 65-year-old woman breathed her battered last, thrown out from the door of a crowded private bus. At the Soysa Round-about at Colombo Town Hall, two buses, Piliyandala and Kohilawatte bound respectively, collided. One overturned. The result - 28 injured passengers. It later transpired that the Piliyandala bus had arrived at the Round-about from a route other than what was regularly assigned to it. Where does the fault lie ? In the Accident Ward 72 of the National Hospital, Colombo, lies a 19-year-old G.C.E.(A/L) student, deep in morbid thoughts. His life-long aspiration of entering the University and his dream of higher education was shattered by a three-wheeler which ran headlong into his motor-bicycle, a few days ago. "I had answered Combined Maths and Physics papers and only had to sit Chemistry. It was my second try and a third attempt won't qualify me for University entry," says Janana Rusiru Yapa, a student of Royal College, who had to undergo surgery for a fractured thigh bone and knee-joint. "I was riding my mo-bike with my mother seated at the back, to get some study notes from a friend in Piliyandala, on the 341 bus route. I was keeping, between me and the van ahead, an adequate gap to brake to a halt, if necessary." The van ahead blocked his view of the three wheeler which suddenly appeared from the opposite direction and banged into his leg. "I was thrown off the bike and the bike rode over my leg with my mother still seated on it. It proves that I was not going at a high speed, for how can my mother still sit intact on the bike, when usually collisions throw the rear-rider off the bike?" Janana questions. "When the Police came on the scene, the three-wheeler was on the middle of the road, upside-down." But its occupant had no major injuries. Janana's father, a Social Service Officer, says that at the Police Station where he made an entry, an off-duty officer, alleged to be the three-wheeler driver's brother, asked him to pay damages for the three-wheeler. "I said I wouldn't pay anything, as my son wasn't at fault," he says. Janana has appealed to the Commissioner of Examination to allow him an extra attempt at his A/L examinations, qualifying for a longingly-awaited University entry. On another bed, W.A. Sirimal, a 31-year-old driver of a private bus plying Colombo-Katunayake route, still looks smashed up. It was his day 50 in the Ward. In an incident that almost reads like a routine happening, a bus larger than his had ploughed into the rear, uprooting the driving seat and the steering wheel. "The Police had to bring in two cranes and a tipper to lift the other bus to get me out," says Sirimal. "It took them one hour and 40 minutes. All the time, I was conscious and in great pain." Sirimal's right forehead is still noticeably caved in, even after surgery. "That part of his head was gone when we brought him in," says his young wife Deepasika, who now faces the dilemma of making ends meet for their family comprising a schooling daughter and son while her husband lies helpless in hospital. "He is recovering from brain concussion after his head injury," Ward Sister says and his right leg, fractured in three places, needs more resting for proper healing. Although Sirimal's employer has assisted him in his hour of need, any compensation through the insurance channels seems a long way in coming. "Rupees five lakhs are needed to repair the bus. I really don't know much about these matters," he says resignedly. Janana's and Sirimal's injuries have a common denominator - the other party to the accident have not yet paid a visit to the injured. Though it might not come as a surprise to Sri Lankans conditoned in moral callousness, it is a gaping tell-tale of the need for "social courtesies." No one, not even the nurses at Ward 73, could get a word out of 26-year-old H. Shymalee, a nurse herself, transferred for treatment from the Anuradhapura Hospital. The story of how she was knocked down still remains a mystery as she lies in drowsy oblivion after surgery for head injury and fractured leg. "Shyamalee was sent to us because the Anuradhapura Hospital doesn't have a CT (computerised traumography) Scanner for her neuro surgery," a nurse explained. "Bus and three-wheeler drivers who cause most of the accidents hardly see the suffering of these injured victims," she says. "Some are permanently disabled. Females mostly get injured when the three-wheelers they are travelling in are knocked down; or are thrown out from the bus when the driver brakes; or lose their balance when getting out of the bus." Just next to Shyamalee, on a stretcher, sat a recent arrival. A 32-year-old mother, Kareena, who had been knocked down by a van while on her way to a boutique to buy her morning food rations. "Accidents are a major issue even in the developed world," says Dr. Hector Weerasinghe, Director, National Hospital, Colombo. "Large amounts of money is spent in providing Trauma Care Services for the victims." The new Accident Service of the National Hospital, set up in 1990, has a spacious out-patient department, two X-ray rooms, two Intensive Care Units, seven operating theatres with four specially set-aside for orthopaedics (fractures) and six wards housing 270 patients. "When a head-injured patient is admitted, an immediate CT scanning is done in our Neuro Surgical Unit. Ours is the best equipped Trauma Care Centre in the country," he says. Seek treatment from nearest hospital
Casualty facts from the National Hospital, Colombo: More than 50% of the patients are injured road accidents. Most accident-prone age group - Young Adults (20-50 years) - major economic loss to the country. Out of every 05 injured - 04 are males. Main victims - pedestrians and passengers. Reasons - indisciplined or inexperienced driving, disregard of traffiuc signs, high speeding. Most accident-prone vehicles - buses, three-wheelers. Stop - Helpers from driving private buses in place of the regular driver, Stop - Making Driving Licences easy to obtain, without rigourous gruelling. Every day, 06 people die of road accidents. Every 05 hours, one person in Sri Lanka die of road accidents. 75% of deaths - due to head injuries. National Hospital, Colombo : Treated - 1991 - 75,000 patients 2001 - 105,000 patients Surgery - 1991 - 11,000 patients 2001 - 21,000 patients Facts from Traffic Police Head Quarters, Colombo Road Accidents in Sri Lanka Year 2001 - 52,027 accidents - 1,193 fatal accidents - 2,159 dead 140 road accidents per day Every 10 minutes, one accident in the country 300-400 average traffic-violators per day in Colombo Vehicles on Sri Lankan roads Total 17 lakhs vehicles - 8 lakhs motor bicycles - 1.2 lakhs three-wheelers - 7.8 lakhs other vehicles 03 lakhs vehicles on Colombo main roads Driver lapses causing accidents 1. Reckless overtaking of other vehicles 2. Taking careless "U" turns on vehicles on main roads 3. Sudden entry into main roads from side-lanes What makes a better driver 1. Thorough training. 2. Road courtesy - an essential component disregarded in Sri Lanka. |
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no warning, the driver suddenly shot
off at a tangent, raising his speed. And Rita found herself crashing,
crashing.... and dragged down... down... under the interminable wheels....
"In an accident, the critical factor is time," Dr. Hector
Weerasinghe advises the public. "Go straight to the closest hospital
for first aid and initial treatment. Don't try to come direct to Colombo!
Since our accident wards too, cannot accomodate the large numbers which
come in, the solution is to improve the Provincial Hospitals !"
