By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, has urged individuals to prioritise saving lives and assisting first responders to accident victims rather than taking videos of incidents.
Prof Abayomi stressed that prioritising videos over lives by onlookers is one of the causes of many preventable deaths in the state.
The commissioner, represented by the Director of Medical Services, Lagos Health Service Commission, Dr Olawale Adegbite, stated this at a symposium for stakeholders to mark the 2025 World Trauma Day with the theme, ‘Reducing Needless Deaths on Our Roads: Everybody’s Responsibility,’ held in Lagos on Saturday, October 18.
Abayomi further urged Lagos residents to respect ambulances and give them the right of way, adding that saving lives on the road was not just the government’s responsibility, but a collective moral and civic duty of every residents.
He said: “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 state government’s resolution to strengthen emergency preparedness and trauma response mechanisms to reduce preventable deaths on Lagos roads.
He added that the state’s emergency systems, especially pre-hospital care and ambulance services, have been instrumental in saving lives but require continuous improvement and public cooperation.
The commissioner highlighted the ongoing investments in emergency medicine by the Lagos State government, noting that most trauma cases brought in by the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) recorded higher survival rates compared to those transported by bystanders.
“Proper pre-hospital intervention makes the difference between life and death. Continuous staff training and retention were critical to sustaining success in trauma management,” he said.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, in her opening remark, said trauma is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths and disabilities globally, particularly from road traffic crashes.
Ogunyemi, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, Dr Oluwatoni Adeyemi, highlighted the strides made by the Lagos State government, including improvements in ambulance coverage, response time, and coordination among first responders.
“We recently launched ten emergency ambulance bikes to ensure faster access to victims in congested areas and also commissioned 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,” she said.
