Approximately 29,000 people are currently receiving hospital treatment for accident-related injuries as the Sinhala and Tamil New Year festive season peaks, health officials have reported.
Community Physician Dr. Samitha Sirithunga of the Non-Communicable Diseases Unit at the Ministry of Health said road traffic accidents account for the highest share of admissions, followed by falls, animal bites, assaults, and other injuries.
National accident burden
Dr. Sirithunga noted that around 1.3 million people are hospitalised nationwide each year due to accidents, with the heaviest concentration during the New Year festive period. Provinces outside the Western Province report higher accident rates, he said.
In a positive development, injuries caused by fireworks have shown a relative decrease compared to previous years.
“We all need to be more attentive in preventing these accidents,” Dr. Sirithunga said.
Festive season toll
The admission figures come as the country marks a grim toll from Avurudu celebrations. At least 49 people were killed in road accidents during the week leading up to the festival, and six more died on New Year’s Day itself.
Authorities have deployed 8,000 police officers for traffic duty during the holiday period, while the Transport Minister urged strict seatbelt compliance to reduce casualties.
The National Eye Hospital has separately urged the public to exercise caution with fireworks, citing the risk of permanent eye injuries during festive celebrations.
