TUHIN SHUBHRA ADHIKARY

Around 270 road crash victims visited the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) daily on average during the Eid vacation, as the number of road crashes increased during the period.

Most of the patients sustained injuries in accidents involving three-wheelers and motorcycles, putting huge pressure on the specialised hospital while operating with limited manpower during the vacation, officials said.

The statistics highlight the growing pressure on medical facilities, particularly specialised ones, in handling patients during such phases.

Although road crashes occur throughout the year, their number sees a sharp rise during the Eid rush, as thousands of people leave Dhaka and other major cities to spend the holidays with family and loved ones, leading to a surge in the number of vehicles on the highways, including unfit and smaller ones, amid lax monitoring.

At least 351 people were killed and 1,046 injured in 346 road accidents across Bangladesh during the Eid rush from March 14-28 this year, said Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity.

“Road crashes are putting a huge burden on medical facilities. The pressure on us reached its peak during the Eid vacation as patients from across the country came here, finding many hospitals closed or offering limited services,” said NITOR Director Prof Abul Kenan yesterday.

He said the 100-bed facility received a total of 1,626 road accident patients at their emergency department between March 18 and 23, averaging 271 patients daily.

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