At Uganda’s national referral hospital, Mulago, the toll of road traffic accidents is overwhelming — and the numbers are growing. According to Mudiru Joseph, an orthopedic surgeon at Mulago National Referral Hospital, an average of 800 trauma cases are received at the facility every month, with 60 percent of all hospital casualties linked to road traffic accidents.
“Of these, about 30 percent are critically ill, 40 percent are severely injured and could easily become critical, while the remaining 30 percent are mildly ill,” Mudiru explained.
The majority of these cases fall under orthopedic and neurosurgical care, with bone fractures and head injuries taking up the largest share.
The economic burden, he adds, is staggering. Treating a critically ill accident victim without surgery costs about 3.5 million shillings per day a figure far beyond the reach of the average Ugandan.
“Our GDP per capita is about 1,000 dollars, and the average monthly income is around 436,000 shillings. Spending 3.6 million in a single day on treatment is catastrophic for most households,” Dr. Mudiru said.
When surgery and intensive care are required, the cost can soar to 13 million shillings per patient, underscoring the devastating financial strain road accidents impose on families. Despite these efforts, 8 to 10 percent of critically ill accident victims die within minutes of arrival, he noted.
Beyond the hospital walls, the long-term effects ripple through society. Many survivors remain hospitalised for months, unable to work or support their families.
“We are losing our most productive generation,” Mudiru warned. “Between 55 and 60 percent of road traffic accident casualties are men aged 18 to 45, the backbone of our labor force.”
He observed a disturbing rise in head injuries, particularly among boda boda riders, who account for the largest share of road accidents. “I don’t know what is happening — perhaps riders are not wearing helmets — but the trend is worrying,” he said.
The challenge is compounded by limited manpower at Mulago.
“We don’t have enough staff to handle the numbers, but we manage with what we have,” Mudiru admitted. “Mulago currently handles the highest volume of casualties in the country, including those referred from as far as Jinja and Ndongo.”
Mudiru believes that awareness and enforcement are key to reversing the trend. “If motorists, especially boda boda riders, understood the gravity of these statistics, it would go a long way in reducing the numbers,” he said.
He also revealed that most casualties arrive unattended, with no family or friends to support them — a factor that further complicates care, especially when treatment costs arise.