With the Sinhala and Tamil New Year around the bend, The Daily Morning would like to wish our readers a happy and prosperous Avurudu season. This week, as Sri Lankans are heading ‘home’ or back to their villages in droves, few would be able to celebrate Avurudu as they would like. Nevertheless, let us be thankful that despite the political turmoil and the economic crisis we have seen in the rear mirror, the situation is better this year than it was in the last few years.
As everyone gathers together to celebrate what we have to be thankful for; family, community and shared aspirations for a better journey ahead. Given the cost of living and the multiple crises we face daily, it is prudent to enjoy the festive period with an eye for caution. We should all work towards avoiding accidents and injuries. These sentiments were echoed yesterday by health authorities, who cautioned that during the Sinhala Tamil New Year season, specifically this week and especially in the coming week, there is a high possibility of accidents increasing. They noted that approximately 22,000-24,000 persons are hospitalised every week due to accidents, adding that this figure increases to around 28,000-30,000 during the New Year week. The spike is a concerning situation, which they said should be taken into account ahead of the upcoming festive season.
According to Community Health Specialists at the Health Ministry’s Non-Communicable Diseases Unit, around 10,000-12,000 persons die each year due to accidents. The specialist pointed out that going by trends, they have observed that the number of accident victims may be increasing. “Our estimations show that this number will further increase in the next 5-10 years. We project an increase of around 200,000-250,000 accidents a year. However, these projections are only for hospital admissions (in the public sector). In addition, there are accident victims that obtain treatment from hospitals’ outpatient departments, the private health sector and non-Western medical practitioners. Some don’t even seek treatment officially and instead resort to other solutions. This could be around three to four million people,” he said, noting that both official data and estimations show that every year, at least one in every five to six persons face accidents that require medical attention.
Last year (2024), nearly four dozen persons with injuries due to motoring accidents and fireworks-related injuries were admitted to the Colombo National Hospital within hours after the dawn of the New Year. Over the last two years, the Government moved to raise awareness about the risks involving motor traffic accidents and fireworks-related ones. The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Transport, and the National Council on Road Safety have launched awareness initiatives to address the issue. A key concern relating to motoring accidents is the high frequency of accidents involving motorbikes and three-wheelers, both of which offer little in the way of physical security and safety features for the respective riders or passengers. A specialist doctor who The Daily Morning spoke to emphasised that many individuals injured in these severe accidents have suffered serious injuries, and many take long periods of care to fully recover. Underscoring the long-term impact of such incidents. He noted that a significant proportion of fatal accidents occur outside of expressways, with approximately ten deaths occurring daily as a result. Drunk driving during the festive period is also a key reason for accidents. Authorities, such as the National Transport Commission, have also called on the public to come forward and report erratic and reckless driving, especially of vehicles which are used for public transport. A hotline, 1955, is available round-the-clock to report drivers violating traffic regulations, the Commission said.
As we transit this difficult period in our lives, let's make the most of what we have with what really matters, family, loved ones and our community, while ensuring we all remain safe.