Santo Domingo.-As is usual for the Christmas and New Year holidays, the number of patients who go to emergencies as a result of accidents on the roads usually increases as a result of recklessness, a problem that is reflected in the trauma hospitals of Greater Santo Domingo.
The dynamism in this area could be observed in healthcare centers such as the Ney Arias Lora Traumatology Center, where ambulances arrived with a certain frequency with injured people due to accidents, while others arrived in engines or vehicles from their work after suffering an injury while doing their work.
In the last two weekends, this health center has seen an increase of more than 25% in emergencies that come to the center, especially on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays in the early morning, according to its director Julio Landrón.
More than 150 patients
It should be noted that between 80 and 100 patients are regularly handled from Monday to Friday, but since October 150 were being treated per day, as well as 250 patients on weekends.
Landrón maintained that the patients they are seeing are between 19 and 40 years old, this being a productive stage for people.
The situation at the Darío Contreras Traumatological Hospital is similar, where the number of people affected by accidents requiring medical attention rose by 15%, receiving nearly 200 patients each day, but it increases on Sundays and Mondays, indicated the director César Roque.
He stated that of the accident victims who arrive at the emergency, 68% involve motorcyclists, aged between 15 and 30 years.
“We perform about 1,000 x-rays a day,” while recommending caution when traveling through the streets of the national territory.
Cause of death
According to the director of the Injury and Violence Prevention Program (Prelvi), Julio de León, the country occupies the second position in mortality from traffic accidents in the region, with a rate of 27 deaths per 100 thousand inhabitants, surpassed only for Haiti.
He highlighted that according to data from the Permanent Road Safety Observatory, by 2022, of the 2,921 deaths, men represented 87.6% of the cases.
De León pointed out that Prelvi carries out risk factor and training campaigns, as well as technical actions in order to reduce deaths and injuries due to accidents.
Health urges to respect speed limits
Exhortation. The director of the Injury and Violence Prevention Program (Prelvi) of the Ministry of Public Health, Julio de León, urged drivers to respect speed limits, as this is a key factor in the severity of accidents.
He recommended avoiding alcohol consumption when driving, having a designated driver if doing so or using public transportation service, to avoid road accidents during the Christmas holiday.
Also, avoid getting distracted by your cell phone and get enough rest so you don’t have fatigue or stop to sleep.
He also recalled the importance of using a seat belt or protective helmet in the case of motorcyclists.
