Six severely injured victims of the recent fatal motor accident on the Tamale-Savelugu road that claimed the lives of over 25 people, were on Thursday airlifted from Tamale to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in the nation’s capital for proper medical care, health officials have announced.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Hamza Jamani, told savannahnews the arrangement was as a result of the hospital’s lack of a CT Scan and an emergency or accident centre to handle the severe conditions of the victims. Most of the victims sustained multiple fractures and head injuries, he stated.
He said due to the nature of their injuries, the ambulance service could not also transport the victims to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, hence the need to airlift them.
Mr. Jamani disclosed that management of the Tamale Teaching Hospital through the assistance of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council airlifted the six victims by Air Shuttle, a new domestic flight operating between the Accra-Tamale routes.
The PRO of the hospital however stated that five of the victims had refused to be airlifted to Korle-Bu for treatment demanding that they be discharged so that they could go home and seek local treatment from herbalists.
However, management of the hospital which is currently under renovation, in collaboration with a team of young men has mounted search on three accident victims who fled from the facility after realizing that they were not seriously injured like their colleagues.
On the other hand, twenty-seven (27) people who died instantly after the accident, on arrival at the hospital and after some few hours on admission, were on Sunday September 19, 2010 laid to rest at the Tamale Central Cemetery.
Only one of the deceased, a chief whose identity has since been kept away from the public had been taken to his home village for burial in line with the customs and traditions of Dagbon (Dagombas).
Religious leaders, family members, leadership of political parties and sympathizers paid their last respect to the deceased as they were laid rest.
Issahaku Sualisu, Iliasu Osman and Abdul Ganiyu Ahmed, who are related to some of the deceased, told the paper at the burial ground that the tragedy had left a deep mark on their minds.
Mr. Abdul Ganiyu Ahmed stressed the need for the police to partner effectively with the Ghana Road Safety Commission to ban the use of such cargo trucks from carrying people.
Meanwhile, the driver of the cargo truck with registration number NR 1259W who escaped unhurt is also assisting the police in investigations on the circumstance that led to the accident.
In a related development, the First Vice Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Northern Region, Chief Sofo Awudu popularly n as Azorka has donated over 30 bags of maize to the families of the 27 departed souls and the chief of the Voggu community in the Savelugu-Nanton District, where all the victims came from. He also added a cash amount of over GH¢700.00 to the foodstuffs.
Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo, the 2012 Presidential Candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) also visited Voggu and made a similar presentation to the victims of the accident.
Led by the Northern Regional Executive of the NPP, Nana Akuffo-Addo prayed for the departed souls and made a cash donation of GH¢500.00 in addition to five maxi bags of maize towards their funeral performances.
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