LASUTH received 102 victims of Lagos train crash, says CMD

The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, has said it received 102 victims of the PWD train-bus crash for treatment.

The Chief Medical Director, LASUTH, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, who said the experience was overwhelming, narrated that early Thursday morning, around 8 am, his hospital received 85 victims at once, adding that the institution embarked on open space treatment also known as triage, which was world best practice in mass emergencies.

The CMD explained that triage was the option because the hospital only had 30-bed spaces at the emergency unit with patients.

Fabamwo told The Punch that six deaths had been recorded, adding that six victims were also operated upon.

He said, “As concerns our 85 victims, two died on the spot at the accident scene, three of them died while we were trying to resuscitate them because they had very serious injuries, one of them who was bleeding internally that we took to the theatre didn’t make it. So, four died in the hospital making a total of 6 fatalities now. As we speak, another 17 causalities have been brought to us, making a total of 102 casualties. ”

A statement by the Lagos State Ministry of Information said that a triage centre was set up by the management of LASUTH by erecting an emergency canopy.

“Patients were triaged into mild, moderate, and severe groups. Those with life-threatening injuries were immediately transferred to operating theatres, for stabilisation and fracture repair by specialists in these areas within LASUTH,” it read.

Some of the victims were also taken to some of the hospitals around LASUTH so as to reduce the pressure on the institution.