The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has decried the growing number of lives lost on Lagos roads due to delays caused by onlookers who take videos instead of helping first responders at accident scenes.
Speaking in Lagos at a stakeholders’ symposium to mark the 2025 World Trauma Day, themed “Reducing Needless Deaths on Our Roads: Everybody’s Responsibility,” Abayomi, represented by Dr. Olawale Adegbite, Director of Medical Services at the Lagos State Health Service Commission, said saving lives should be every citizen’s priority.
“Every time we block an ambulance or ignore an emergency call, someone’s parent, spouse, or child could be dying. Trauma care begins with public responsibility,” he said.
Abayomi reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening emergency preparedness and trauma response mechanisms to reduce preventable deaths. He noted that most trauma incidents in Lagos were avoidable and often linked to human error rather than accidents.
He also praised the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) for its critical role in improving survival rates among trauma victims, stressing that pre-hospital intervention and continuous staff training were key to saving more lives.
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, represented by Dr. Oluwatoni Adeyemi, said Lagos had made significant progress under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu through investments in ambulance coverage, faster response times, and better coordination among first responders.
She highlighted recent initiatives such as the launch of ten emergency ambulance bikes for hard-to-reach areas and the commissioning of modular high-dependency units in Ifako and Mushin General Hospitals.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, underscored the importance of pre-hospital care, recounting the story of “Mr. Andrew,” a trauma survivor saved through coordinated emergency response at the Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre (LASAEC).
Ogboye revealed that new trauma centers were being established in Epe, Eti-Osa, and Badagry in partnership with private sector players, while LASAMBUS had evolved into a world-class mobile intensive care service.
“You move aside for convoys and security vehicles, yet block ambulances carrying lives. That behavior must change—it could be your loved one in that ambulance,” he cautioned.
LASAEC Medical Director, Dr. Adeolu Arogundade, disclosed that over 41,000 trauma cases had been treated at the center in the last 15 years, with a 1.4% mortality rate. He praised the state’s policy of providing free emergency care within the first 24 hours for all trauma victims.
Also speaking, Lagos State FRSC Sector Commander, Mr. Kehinde Hamzat, said Africa accounts for a significant share of the 1.3 million global road crash deaths annually, urging motorists to embrace safe driving habits.
“No matter how advanced our hospitals become, if we don’t change road behaviour, we’ll keep losing lives needlessly,” Hamzat said.
At the end of the symposium, participants resolved to deepen inter-agency collaboration, intensify public sensitisation, and promote behavioural change campaigns across Lagos State.