Discussion: how to help victims of road accidents and reduce road deaths
In the conference hall of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine the All-Ukrainian Congress was held on the theme: “Advocating the interests of victims of traffic accidents: accessibility, quality, safety of medical care. Legal Aspect”.
The purpose of the forum is to draw attention to the need to ensure the right to health, to identify ways to ensure the provision of medical care and the rehabilitation of victims of road accidents in order to reduce mortality and disability.
The conference participants and speakers presented the data of national studies in the field of assessing the effectiveness of investments in road safety developed by the Institute for Road Safety, as well as voiced the opportunity and prospects of business participation in the implementation of the state program to improve road safety.
What needs to be changed
In Ukraine, a catastrophic situation with the provision and realization of the right to life and health. Almost half of the population of Ukraine does not have access to basic medical services, and many of those who receive it face unjustified financial difficulties that lead to the impoverishment of their families and provoke the commission of crimes or suicide.
The conference speakers noted that the consolidation of efforts of the state, patient, public, expert organizations and business is a prerequisite for ensuring general access to quality and safe medical care in Ukraine.
As noted by a member of the board of the All-Ukrainian Association of Victims of Road Accidents Mikhail Berlin, despite the measures that the government is taking to prevent the consequences of road accidents, the country has seen an increase in mortality from accidents and their consequences. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for children and young people aged 15 to 29 years. “Every year in an accident in Ukraine kills up to 6,000 people and 30,000 get severe bodily harm. This figure is steadily increasing from year to year. We want to draw attention to the problem of high injuries and accidents, to show what means the state budget is losing from injuries. Western experts working in Ukraine call the figure $ 4.5 billion annually”, - said Mikhail Berlin.
According to the Department of Patrol Police, the death rate on the roads of Ukraine in 2019 continues to increase. Moreover, these statistics, according to estimates by international institutions (European Investment Bank), are almost doubled and the exact number of deaths on Ukrainian roads per year is not 3.4 thousand (as in official statistics), but 1.5- 2 times more.
Such a large discrepancy between the main indicators of road safety shows the need for the implementation and application of appropriate methods and systems for collecting and systematizing information.
Despite the growing burden of road traffic injuries, the issue of road safety and assistance to victims is given insufficient attention by politicians and the executive branch, while most deaths and injuries can be prevented.
The institutional measures taken by the government in recent years, which aimed at improving road safety, have not been effective enough. The financial expenses of families affected by road accidents are not comparable with their incomes, so the health system and budgeting of the state budget should be reviewed.
Also within the framework of the All-Ukrainian Congress, economic, demographic, medical and legal aspects of road accidents, problems of treatment and assistance to victims of road accidents, issues of social assistance to road users who were injured or disabled due to accidents were considered.
Participants came to the conclusion: today there is an urgent need for balancing economic and administrative management methods. An unbalanced control system is not able to ensure proper road safety. Ineffective management leads to an increase in both the number of traffic accidents and their consequences. And the existing management system is the result of a hasty attempt to move from a state to a market management system without first creating effective management mechanisms. This led to the fact that the objects of management lack economic incentives for management, and on the other hand, their activities are not provided by proper state coercion.e Forum was supported by the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Health Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Risk Reduction Fundation, etc.
Press department of the International Risk Reduction Fundation
