The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has called on hospitals to prioritise the treatment of road crash victims and desist from rejecting them when brought in for emergency care.
The appeal was made by the FRSC Sector Commander in Plateau State, Olajide Mogaji, on Wednesday during the agency’s Customer Service Week celebration held at its headquarters in Jos, the state capital.
Mogaji stated that the Corps had received reports of some hospitals refusing to attend to accident victims, describing such actions as unlawful and unacceptable.
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“We are aware of complaints of some hospitals not accepting to treat crash victims when they are brought in. This is wrong. The government’s position is that they should be treated before anything else.
But here in Plateau State, we don’t have such cases because many hospitals have been helping to treat crash victims whenever they are brought in,” Mogaji said.
The sector commander stressed that penalties await any medical facility found violating the directive and urged hospitals to always prioritise emergency cases involving road crash victims.
“We want to use this opportunity to plead with hospitals to always accord priority to such emergency situations involving crash victims and not reject them, in order to save their lives,” he added.
Speaking further, Mogaji highlighted some of the challenges the Corps faces during rescue operations, including threats to the safety of its personnel.
“We are clamouring for the public to support us to be able to carry arms because when you are going for rescue operations, sometimes it is very dangerous,” he said.
He also noted that the FRSC is intensifying efforts to curb road accidents, particularly during the high-traffic “ember” months, by encouraging motorists to comply with road safety regulations.
“Some of the things that can help us achieve this objective is when we observe and obey road traffic regulations. Things like overloading, overspeeding, dangerous driving, and other infractions should be avoided at all costs,” he added.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, the Zonal Commanding Officer, represented by Corps Commander Elizabeth Ameh, stressed the need for stronger collaboration between the public and the FRSC in promoting road safety and reducing accidents nationwide.
According to the PUNCH, the Customer Service Week featured the presentation of awards to notable partners, including Jay 101.9 FM and Plateau Radio Television Corporation, in recognition of their contributions to road safety awareness in Plateau State.
