The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has raised alarm over the increasing number of preventable deaths on Lagos roads caused by bystanders filming accident scenes instead of assisting victims.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ symposium in Lagos to mark the 2025 World Trauma Day, Abayomi—represented by the Director of Medical Services, Dr. Olawale Adegbite—criticized the growing culture of onlookers using phones during emergencies, warning that “every second wasted could cost a life.”
“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.
He urged Lagosians to respect ambulances and prioritise life-saving interventions over videos, stressing that trauma care is a shared civic duty, not solely the government’s responsibility.
Abayomi reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to strengthening pre-hospital and trauma response systems, noting that most trauma cases on Lagos roads are preventable and caused by human error.
He added that the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) had achieved higher survival rates for accident victims compared to those transported by untrained bystanders.
Government Expands Emergency Response Network
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, represented by Dr. Oluwatoni Adeyemi, highlighted new state interventions including the launch of 10 emergency ambulance bikes and commissioning of modular high-dependency units in Ifako and Mushin General Hospitals.
“These interventions are part of our drive to bring critical care closer to communities and reduce delays in life-saving interventions,” Ogunyemi said.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, narrated a touching story of Mr. Andrew, a trauma survivor saved on the morning of his daughter’s wedding through quick emergency response.
“You move aside for convoys and security vehicles, yet block ambulances carrying lives. That behaviour must change. It could be your loved one in that ambulance,” Ogboye warned.
Trauma Care Impact and Road Safety Concerns
The Medical Director of LASAEC, Dr. Adeolu Arogundade, disclosed that the centre has treated over 41,000 trauma cases in 15 years, with a mortality rate of just 1.4%.
“Behind every statistic is a human story. Each percentage represents someone’s father, mother, or friend who lived because a system worked,” he said.
Also speaking, the FRSC Lagos Sector Commander, Kehinde Hamzat, cautioned that most crash-related deaths are avoidable, citing WHO data that Africa bears a large share of the 1.3 million global road traffic deaths annually.
“No matter how advanced our hospitals become, if we don’t change road behaviour, we’ll keep losing lives needlessly,” he warned.
The symposium ended with a collective resolution to intensify public sensitisation, inter-agency collaboration, and behavioural change campaigns to enhance trauma care and emergency response across Lagos.
