Mr C. W. Musah a Director at DVLA announced this at the launch of the International St. John Day in Accra on theme, "First Aid on the Road, a Major Concern".

He said "drivers are the first to arrive at any accident scene. So there is a need to give life an enhancement within those few minutes."

Mr Musah stressed "DVLA shall make it compulsory for applicants to obtain first aid instructions before a license is issued. This is already done in some countries, where knowledge in first aid is a written exam."

He has therefore called on law-enforcing agencies to enforce mandatory requirement of first aid kit in every vehicle.

He said the DVLA introduced the instructor and learner syllabi for the public to train skilled drivers who are accident conscious to avoid accidents.

Giving statistics to substantiate his presentation, he said available records for the year 2004 indicate that 21,284 vehicles were involved in road accidents. Out of this number, a total of 1859 people were killed and 12,407 people injured.

Dr E. K. Osei, Head of Accident and Emergency, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital announced that the bed occupancy rate at the accident center of the hospital is over 100% and that most accident victims are nursed on benches.

He said most trauma victims die before reaching hospital because of inappropriate handling, poor first aid and resuscitation and inappropriate means of transport.

" If our rescue, resuscitative measures and transportation of trauma victims do not improve, then we will continue to lose many of such patients before they arrive at the accident center, or the injuries may be rendered irreparable.

Major Courage Quarshigah, Minister of Health in a speech read for him said most of these accidents on our roads could be prevented or their effects mitigated by well known, tried and simple practices like enforcement of speed limits, use of seat belts and administering first aid education.

He said this among others is why the ministry was mandated by the president to develop a national ambulance service. "The ambulance service is set up to make sure that injured people are transported quickly and safely to hospital."

In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister of Transport, Dr Richard Anane commended the St. John Ambulance for their checkered history of providing first aid services and training numerous bodies in the country since 1937.

He noted that management of trauma resulting from road accidents has not been given the prominent attention it deserves.

St John Ambulance's mission is to train, educate and develop people in the society through first aid and allied subject conducive to development.

Its aim is to help save life in case of injury or illness and to assist the home and community in guiding people towards caring, considerate and healthy citizenship.