Accra, Aug. 18, GNA – The Accident Victims Support Ghana (AVSG) has called for a formal Government partnership to strengthen nationwide support systems for road crash victims.
Reverend Cyril Crabbe, President of AVSG, said the collaboration would provide a structured framework for expanding medical, psychological, and financial assistance to victims and their families, many of whom continued to struggle long after the initial crash.
“We have reached a stage where we cannot do it alone. With a state-backed partnership, we can expand our reach, mobilise resources, and ensure that every victim, regardless of location, has access to timely support,” he told the Ghana News Agency.
According to the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Ghana recorded 7,289 road crashes in the first half of 2025, resulting in 1,504 deaths, 8,364 injuries, and 1,301 pedestrian knockdowns. This translates to an average of eight deaths daily, with dozens more injured.
When compared to the same period in 2024, fatalities increased by 21.6 per cent, from 1,237 to 1,504. Crashes rose from 6,653 to 7,289, vehicles involved jumped from 11,283 to 12,354, and injuries climbed from 7,561 to 8,364.
The NRSA has warned that the country risks losing its productive population if preventive and post-crash interventions are not scaled up.
Rev. Crabbe said the statistics told only part of the story, noting that “every number represents a family in pain, a breadwinner incapacitated, or a student whose dreams have been cut short.”
Since its establishment 16 years ago, AVSG has provided counselling, financial support for medical bills, and advocacy for victims’ welfare. Its volunteers also engage in road safety education and trauma support for families.
Currently, the organisation supports over 150 victims annually, spending an average of GHS 20,000 on some minor cases, with major cases costing significantly more due to multiple surgeries and physiotherapy needs.
The AVSG is yet to enjoy government subventions and has over the years relied solely on benevolent individuals, religious and corporate institutions to fund their operations.
Rev. Crabbe explained that one-off insurance payouts were often inadequate, sometimes leaving victims with implants and unpaid bills.
For uninsured vehicles, he referred families to the Compensation Fund at the National Insurance Commission, but complained about its processes being “too robust” and poorly known, discouraging claims.
He noted that payouts ranged from GH₵150,000 to GH₵350,000, even covering dependents in some cases.
Rev. Crabbe stressed the need for stronger public education and simplified filing procedures involving police and medical reports.
“Our interventions have made a difference, but the demand is overwhelming. We encounter families who cannot even afford basic rehabilitation or surgery. That is why government collaboration is not optional—it is urgent,” he added.
Looking ahead, AVSG plans to establish an Accident Victims Home in Accra—a 30-room, orthopaedic-ready facility offering free physiotherapy, three daily meals, medical reviews, and psychosocial care, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and psychiatric support.
The project will be launched during Accident Victims Awareness Month in November, alongside AVSG’s annual “I Support Accident Victims” campaign.
“This home will give people a dignified, compassionate place to heal and reintegrate.” Rev. Crabbe explained.
He traced AVSG’s roots to his calling as an evangelist and his personal survival of a crash, which deepened his resolve to “hear the cry of crash victims.”
The AVSG operated informally for four years before registering 12 years ago and has since collaborated with the NRSA on referrals and awareness.
In 2019, Rev. Crabbe joined a Ghanaian delegation to Sweden to study global best practices in post-crash care.
The organisation’s activities include hospital support, mobility aids (JM Summit.
Operationally, AVSG fields up to 21 calls daily, works with regional representatives, and maintains a lean core staff of eight people. But funding and logistics remain major constraints.
“We don’t even have a proper vehicle; we’re using a rickety donated car,” he lamented.
Rev. Crabbe highlighted longstanding hurdles, including funding fatigue from donors, bureaucratic barriers around the Compensation Fund, case attrition when families abandon claims.
Other challenges are exploitative legal fees from private lawyers, limited logistics and manpower for fieldwork.
He called for more corporate, civil society, and faith-based partnerships to support physiotherapy, mobility aids, and the planned Accident Victims Home.
GNA
Edited by Samuel Osei-Frempong