Road accidents now a public health emergency – GMA

The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has issued a stark warning about the alarming rise in road accidents across the country, declaring the situation a public health emergency that requires immediate and decisive national action.

Addressing the 44th Annual General Meeting of the Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners in Cape Coast, GMA President Dr. Frank Serebuor called for urgent measures to fix the country’s worsening road infrastructure.

He also urged motorists to exercise greater discipline and responsibility.

Dr. Serebuor cited a series of recent fatal accidents that claimed numerous lives, describing the current state of road safety as an “escalating crisis” that demands the collective efforts of all stakeholders.

“Even our single-lane roads are in such terrible condition that every journey feels like a dance with death. To make matters worse, many drivers navigate these dangerous roads with reckless abandon,” he said.

He stressed that the ongoing wave of deadly crashes is more than a transportation issue; it’s a growing national health crisis.

Most victims, he noted, fall within the productive age group, deepening the long-term social and economic impact.

“Road accidents continue to kill and disable the very people who drive our economy, yet the response from authorities remains disturbingly muted,” Dr. Serebuor warned.

“We often say intelligence should guide our actions, but we live in a society where we’ve become numb to the negligence that surrounds us.”

He concluded by urging both government bodies and the general public to take shared responsibility in reversing this trend.

According to Dr. Serebuor, the surge in road accidents reflects not only a failure of infrastructure but also a broader culture of indifference that must be urgently addressed.