Traffic Police Officers’ Experience of Post-crash Care to Road Traffic Injury Victims: A Qualitative Study in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Abstract

Background Recently, road traffic injuries (RTIs) have become a major health problem affecting health systems in many low- and middle-income countries. Regardless of whether an ambulance is available for evacuation, police officers have been shown to arrive at the crash scene first, becoming, in effect, the first responders to RTI victims. The experiences of traffic police officers who have provided care to RTI victims in the prehospital environment was therefore the focus of the present study. Method The study used a qualitative approach in which data were obtained from 10 in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions. Data were collected in Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania, in three phases from December 2017 to June 2018 by means of an interview guide designed by the researchers. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse all the materials. Results Three themes emerged from the analysis. The theme “Maintain safety while saving injured victims’ lives and facilitating access to a health facility” was comprised of safety, sorting, initial help, and assisting access to hospital care. “Overwhelmed working with limited resources and support” included limited care and transport resources, police fatigue, and little or no support. “Improving supportive system and empowering frontline personnel” included the need for an emergency care system, availability of resources and an emergency medical support system, and training for police and drivers regarding victims’ first-aid care, and road safety. Conclusion The study findings characterize an environment in which the police first responders have no knowledge or skills and no equipment and supplies to provide care to RTI victims at the scene before rushing them to definitive care. The results suggest a favorable climate for training and equipping police officers so that they can deliver competent postcrash care at the scene while emergency medical services are yet to be established. However, more research will be needed to determine the efficacy of such training and its acceptability in the Tanzanian context.