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Weaknesses and Capacities Affecting the Prehospital Emergency Care for Victims of Road Traffic Incidents in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area: A Cross-Sectional Study Publisher Pubmed



Balikuddembe JK1, 2, 3 ; Ardalan A1, 4, 5 ; Khorasanizavareh D6, 7, 8 ; Nejati A1, 9 ; Raza O2, 10
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Department of Disaster Public Health, School of Public Health, Tehran, Iran
  2. 2. Tehran University of Medical Sciences-International Campus, Tehran, Iran
  3. 3. East African Center for Disaster Health and Humanitarian Research, Kampala, Uganda
  4. 4. National Institute of Health Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  5. 5. Harvard University, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Cambridge, United States
  6. 6. Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention Research Center, Tehran, Iran
  7. 7. Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Department of Health in Disaster and Emergency, School of Health, Safety and Environment, Tehran, Iran
  8. 8. Karolinska Institute, Post-Doc Research Fellowship, Department of Clinical Science and Education, Stockholm, Sweden
  9. 9. Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Department of Emergency Medicine, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran
  10. 10. School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Tehran, Iran

Source: BMC Emergency Medicine Published:2017


Abstract

Background: Pre-hospital emergency care is a vital and integral component of health systems particularly in the resource constrained countries like Uganda. It can help to minimize deaths, injuries, morbidities, disabilities and trauma caused by the road traffic incidents (RTIs). This study identifies the weaknesses and capacities affecting the pre-hospital emergency care for the victims of RTIs in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the GKMA using a three-part structured questionnaire. Data related to the demographics, nature of RTIs and victims' pre-hospital experience and existing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were collected from victims and EMS specialists in 3 hospitals and 5 EMS institutions respectively. Data was descriptively analyzed, and after the principal component analysis was employed to identify the most influential weaknesses and capacities affecting the pre-hospital emergency care for the victims of RTI in the GKMA. Results: From 459 RTI victims (74.7% males and 25.3% females) and 23 EMS specialists (91.3% males and 8.7% females) who participated in the study between May and June 2016, 4 and 5 key weaknesses and capacities respectively were identified to affect the pre-hospital emergency care for RTI victims in the GKMA. Although some strengths exist like ambulance facilitation, EMS structuring, coordination and others), the key weaknesses affecting the pre-hospital care for victims were noted to relate to absence of predefined EMS systems particularly in the GKMA and Uganda as a whole. They were identified to involve poor quality first aid treatment; insufficient skills/training of the first responders; inadequate EMS resources; and avoidable delays to respond and transport RTI victims to medical facilities. Conclusions: Though some strengths exist, the weaknesses affecting prehospital care for RTI victims primarily emanate from the absence of predefined and well-organized EMS systems in the GKMA and Uganda as a whole. © 2017 The Author(s).
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