By Deo Wasswa
Neurosurgeons in Uganda under their umbrella body, Neurosurgical society of Uganda have observed the argent need to increase on number of doctors in this sector with an aim of extending their services fully to the public.
Currently the government aided hospitals have only 12 neurosurgeons yet they have to attend to all patients being admitted in hospitals with brain issues. Dr.John Baptist Mukasa, a member of the society noted that a day at Mulago Hosipital only, between six (6) to eight (8) patients with brain injuries are admitted and the bigger percentage is due to Boda boda accidents. He made the remarks while announcing the long term partnership the Neurosurgical society of Uganda has entered with Safe Boda Uganda with an aim of educating and sensitizing Boda boda operators and their passengers the importance of wearing helmets to protect damaging the brain in event an accident occurs.‘’There is no better place to protect than that place which makes you tick, you must protect the brain, if you don’t use helmet you are risking changing your life for the worse forever’, Dr. Mukasa added.
About three billion Uganda shillings is lost to the country every single years because of head injuries that emerge as a result of Boda boda accidents and carnage on the road.
Records at traffic police data center show at least 7,000 people lost their lives in boda boda accidents in three years. Traffic records further indicate that 24,352 motorcyclists, passengers and pedestrians were seriously injured in boda boda accidents while 2,010 people suffered minor injuries.
On the same note, Rick Rapa Thomson, the co founder of safe boda Uganda has welcomed that partnership, adding that it will go a long way in sensitizing both the Boda boda riders and passengers the good of wearing helmet. He said wearing a helmet well is a first step, but wearing a good quality helmet is the most important step. According to him, safe boda has so far registered 6000 boda boda riders and it’s quite a good number for such partnership to take off.