A woman injured in a road accident in Labasa is voicing concerns about the medical treatment she received following the incident. Aruna Devi, 55, who was traveling with her granddaughter in a shipping company bus that collided with a sugarcane truck in Seaqaqa, Macuata, claims the medical response was lacking.
Devi, a mother of four, was among five passengers who sustained injuries in the crash. She believes that emergency treatment should have been prioritized for her and the others to address their bleeding and pain. “The Seaqaqa Health Centre nurse told us to wait for the doctor to arrive before we could receive treatment,” she said, describing her ordeal.
She recounted experiencing severe pain along with the other injured passengers and waiting at the health center while blood dripped from her mouth for nearly an hour. Eventually, she was transferred to the Nasea Health Centre for further care. However, there she was instructed to get a ticket and wait in line for treatment.
Devi expressed frustration, stating that common sense should have dictated that the nurses take them directly into the emergency department for urgent care. Realizing the delays in receiving treatment, she opted to hire a taxi and went to the Labasa Divisional Hospital, where she received necessary medical attention for her injuries.
There were attempts to reach Divisional Medical Officer Northern, Dr. Tiko Saumalua, for comments, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
On another note, Devi, a regular ferry traveler, mentioned that this was her first experience with such an accident. She noted that she holds no grievances against the shipping company or its driver, asserting that the driver was not at fault. Due to the traumatic experience, she has booked a flight to Suva rather than traveling by ferry, stating, “I am still shivering from the accident and will not be traveling by ferry anytime soon; I will prefer flights.”
The Divisional Police Commander North, Senior Superintendent of Police Kemueli Baledrokadroka, confirmed that a report of the accident was received on Monday.