The Accident and Emergency Department of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital treated 553 road traffic accident victims during the first six months of 2026, reflecting a continued rise in crash-related emergency cases.
The figure accounted for 7.11 per cent of the 7,781 emergency cases managed by the department between January and June this year.
Hospital records indicate a steady increase in road traffic accident cases over the past four years. During the same period in 2025, the department recorded 379 cases, representing 5.33 per cent of emergency attendances. In 2024, 368 crash victims were treated, accounting for 4.65 per cent of cases, while 384 cases, or 5.22 per cent, were recorded in 2023.
Head of the Accident and Emergency Department, Dr. Henry Bulley, said road traffic accidents remain one of the leading causes of emergency admissions. However, he noted that improvements in emergency healthcare have contributed to better survival outcomes for crash victims.
According to the department, 10 people died from road traffic injuries by the end of June 2026, translating into a mortality rate of 1.81 per cent.
This represents a slight improvement over the same period in 2025, when seven deaths were recorded from 379 accident cases, giving a mortality rate of 1.85 per cent.
In comparison, the department recorded 12 road crash-related deaths in the first half of 2024, with a mortality rate of 3.26 per cent, while seven deaths were recorded in 2023, representing a mortality rate of 1.82 per cent.
Dr. Bulley attributed the improved survival rates to the increased availability of emergency physicians and specialised emergency nurses, which has enhanced the hospital’s capacity to stabilise critically injured patients.
Despite the gains, he called for stronger road safety education and preventive interventions to reduce road crashes and lessen the burden on emergency healthcare facilities nationwide.
Source: citinews
