By Landing Colley
Ansumaneh Sanno, a survivor of road traffic accident has said that Gambian hospitals lack experts who can treat road traffic victims, as many road accidents are claiming lives of many victims.
He disclosed this during the commemoration day of road traffic victims organized by Ministry of Work and Infrastructure over the weekend.
“The hospitals don’t have equipment and health experts to treat victims of road accident, most of them end up been disable,” he said.
Mr Sanno explained how he got accident saying “I was walking on the road side all of a sudden I was hit by a government vehicle and rushed to Bansang Hospital. But there were some difficulties that I faced, amongst was getting an ambulance to the hospital where good treatment was a problem due to lack of equipment and absence of experts. But thank God I am walking by using crutches.”
He added that: “most road accidents that happen in the country, if the victim is not dead he or she will use crutches or wheelchair. If it is that, then you should count yourself lucky but if you become a disable person it seems like you are not a member of the human race.”
According to him, they are facing lots of difficulties even to walk is a problem as there is no law that protect the right of person with disability in this country since the country gain its independent.
“We find it very difficult to climb on the bus because some are using will-chair, crutches; some are blind while others are hard of hearing. I once stood in a bus from Kombo to Kiang and still since that day till present I’m still feeling the pain, is affecting me. But at least they should cater place for person with disabilities,” he said.
He echoed that buses for person with disabilities are there and if they are to order for buses let them consider person with disabilities.
He however urged bus companies, example, Gambia Transport Service Coorporation to help person with disabilities with bus to make transport easier for them as well as reduction of transport fare.
