Boda Boda Injuries in Gulu Regional Hospital, Northern Uganda.

Abstract

Background: Trauma is the commonest indication for surgical admission in Gulu Hospital in Northern Uganda. The situation was made worst by the conflict between the government of Uganda and the LRA. As and when the guns fell silent, the Boda-boda motocycles brought another form of trauma epidemic. These injuries contributed significantly to the number of road traffic crashes seen in Gulu, significantly affecting the health budget and health workers’ time. This study was aimed at determining the frequency and pattern of injuries associated with Boda-boda crashes in Gulu. Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted in the Gulu Hospital. Clinical records of all patients admitted with Boda-boda injuries were retrieved and studied for various parameters including the age, sex, mechanism of injury, the victim and period when the crashes occurred. Ethical approval was obtained from the ethical review committee of the hospital. Results: Boda-boda injuries constituted (21.9%) of all admissions due to trauma and the majority (57.5%) of the victims were males. Most injuries were registered in December, followed by June and lowest in February. Conclusion: Boda-boda injuries are one of the commonest reasons for admission in Gulu Hospital. December recorded the highest number while February the least. More males were affected than females.