(1/31/2011)
The casualty count for traffic accident victims brought to Denpasar's Sanglah General Hospital averages an astounding 150 people every day. According to the Bali Post, those injured are dominated by teenagers and young adults.
The head of the emergency room at Sanglah Hospital, Dr. Kresna Wibawa, said his unit treats up to 300 people every day, half of which are traffic accident victims.
Among traffic accident victims, according to Doctor Wibawa, most traffic accident victims treated by his team are motorcyclists suffering head trauma. "One of the main causes of head injuries is the number of motorcyclists failing to wear a helmet or using a helmet that fails to meet standards," he explained.
Official data collated by the hospitals administration show of all accident victims treated during 2010, the majority were between the ages of 16 and 25 years.
Of the more than 54,000 traffic casualties, 80% were suffering from head injuries with 15.7% recorded as wearing no helmet at the time of their mishap.
In addition to the many head injuries that come through the door of Sanglah's emergency room, there are also a large number of patients treated for broken bones and abdominal injuries.
The saddest tally: 22.7% of those brought to the hospital from traffic accident scene died due to their injuries.
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