Driving ourselves into disability

The Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA) Fund has expressed its concern over the high number of severe injuries recorded in car crashes in the country.
A total of 3 637 road crashes were recorded on average over five on Namibian roads, claiming 613 lives and injuring 6 281 persons.
According to the MVA Fund, 56% of the 7 333 people that were injured in crashes last year sustained traumatic brain injuries while 44% sustained spinal cord injuries.
According to the MVA Fund the frequency of the number of crashes, injuries and subsequent fatalities as a result of road crashes has become a common phenomenon in Namibia and is a threat to economic and social development.
“This situation renders so many citizens incapable of resuming the acceptable capacity of mobility and cognition as the injuries they sustain renders them with limited or complete inability to perform daily tasks such as self-care and walking,” said Kapena Tjombonde MVA Fund’s chief of corporate affairs.
This means the injured will mainly have to depend on another person to carry out daily activities.
According to Tjombonde the Fund makes provision for seriously injured patients to have caretakers whose primary responsibility it is to assist the injured with their daily living activities.
The Fund’s Rehabilitation Quality Specialist and Rehabilitation Coach based at the Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Unit at Windhoek Central Hospital together with a team of specialists spearhead the training.
Some challenges that the Fund encounters include high caretaker turnover, lack of disability friendly residences, inappropriate entrances at public places, as well as inadequate transport to cater for the needs of persons who become physically or mentally disabled.
Furthermore according to the Seriously Injured Satisfaction (SIP) survey of September 2014 more than 50% of the caretakers assisting SIPs were untrained.
“Training is crucial to empower caretakers with knowledge on the challenges associated with spinal cord and brain injury, because when a caretaker understands the condition of the care recipient, their concerns and worries are reduced and they are less overwhelmed,” said Tjombonde.
To date 38 caretakers have been trained in Windhoek, Rehoboth and Ongwediva to assist seriously injured persons.

ELLANIE SMIT