Kumasi: Over 50 per cent of severe injuries referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi for emergency treatment normally result in death.

According to Ghana News Agency, over 82 per cent of all severe and moderate injuries admitted to the hospital are due to road traffic accidents.

Dr. Daniel Osei-Kwame, Site Principal Investigator of the Trauma Emergency and Acute Care Medicine Research Network (TEAM-RN), shared these findings at the 10th anniversary celebration of clinical research collaboration with KATH in Kumasi. The event was themed 'A Decade of Discovery: Highlighting the team's achievements and breakthroughs in clinical research and healthcare'.

Dr. Osei-Kwame highlighted that the medical research findings at KATH have directly impacted patient care and supported professional academic and medical publications. These findings have also contributed to the re-engineering of some medical gadgets to enhance healthcare delivery in the country and beyond.

He emphasized the severe impact of accidents on the country's roads, workplaces, recreational facilities, and other areas, noting that many people are unaware of the lives being lost in these settings. Dr. Osei-Kwame underscored the importance of sharing research findings with the public periodically to inform them about developments in the medical field and encourage policy development to address these issues.

Despite the achievements, Dr. Osei-Kwame mentioned that TEAM RN faces financial challenges due to the lack of a strong financial source, threatening its sustainability. The research is currently funded with internally generated funds, and most TEAM RN members are not in mainstream salary employment. He expressed hope that financial assistance applications would be approved to ensure the smooth running of TEAM RN.

Dr. Evans Ansu-Yeboah, the Deputy Director of Research and Development at KATH, stated that the hospital has benefitted positively from the collaboration with TEAM RN. KATH supports TEAM RN with financial assistance from the KATH Research Grant to alleviate their financial burden. The Research and Development Unit also provides necessary assistance in data accessibility and set-up.

Dr. Ansu-Yeboah commended TEAM RN for their hard work in establishing KATH as one of the leading research centers in Ghana and beyond.